Pawn, This Monk Is Zhi Xie
Sitting alone under the moon, utterly alone, Chu Xuanao shook his head after a long period of contemplation, as if trying to shake these troubling thoughts out of his head, but suddenly laughed.
"Chess piece, haha"
He was just a pawn, and he wasn't the only one. His fifth brother, who was also enfeoffed as Enfeoffed as King on the border, was probably just like him—no, it shouldn't be "probably," it should be "certainly."
He Enfeoffed as King of You Province, facing the Great Feng; his fifth brother Enfeoffed as King of Cloud Province, facing the Great Yan. The Imperial Clan had made similar arrangements on the Great Feng side, and there would be no shortage of them on the Great Yan side.
He even thought about what Li Yi had said about the changes on the Cloud Province border, which happened right after You Province. He wondered if all of this was planned.
I wonder if his fifth brother knows about these things.
Well, there's also his fourth brother, who had that extraordinary birth. Haitang said that the Divine Kingdom has sent another Celestial Phenomenon Realm expert to help. Thinking back to the incident with his fourth brother, when his Imperial Father stopped him, he thought it was for the sake of the Imperial Clan's reputation.
Looking back now, Imperial Father was probably worried that he would ruin Fourth Brother's life, which would prevent the later plans from proceeding!
Are we all just pawns?
The four kingdoms of Dagan, Great Feng, Great Yan, and Divine Kingdom are exactly the same, without exception.
Sitting for long periods is bad for your health, that's enough. I've thought it through, and it's time to make a decision.
Chu Xuanao stood up, and in an instant, his aura changed. His eyes were no longer confused, but firm, and the aura he exuded no longer had the hesitation and loneliness of before, but instead showed its sharpness.
His royal robes shimmered in the dim light, their crimson base seemingly forged in blood in the darkness.
His entire demeanor had changed drastically. Gone was the loneliness he had been sitting there. He was now more composed, calm, sharp, and domineering than before. He seemed like a true king now.
Gazing at the bright moon in the sky, Chu Xuanao muttered to himself.
"Imperial Clan, Imperial Father, born into the Wang Family, this is my fate. But fate is not determined by others; one must walk one's own path."
"This pawn of mine is not one to be used casually. Who is the player and who is the pawn is still uncertain."
"No rush, this game has only just begun. The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind. You are not the oriole, and I am not the cicada you think I am."
Chu Xuanao already had ideas about the Imperial Clan and his Imperial Father, he murmured.
"History tells us that sometimes our ancestors were right. The Xuanwu Gate Incident is a long and arduous journey. I hope Imperial Father won't come to that!"
Otherwise, even being the retired emperor wouldn't be easy for you."
Perhaps the Imperial Clan has its own plans, but Chu Xuanao isn't wrong either. He just hopes his Imperial Father, can behave himself! Otherwise, Chu Xuanao can only say that even the retired emperor is in danger.
"Ghost Servant, go and summon Zhu Wushi and Gong Tai."
Chu Xuanao's majestic voice rang out, and the Ghost Servant on the rooftop flashed and disappeared instantly. The Ghost Servant had always been there and had never gone far. As His Your Highness's personal guard, he knew very well what he had to do.
Chu Xuanao had already made up his mind about the future development. He could no longer develop at a slow pace as before. A ceasefire and recuperation were no longer possible. He had to fight.
The Imperial Clan and his Imperial Father were so eager to send Li Yi here, wanting to stop the war in You Province, because the situation in You Province at the beginning was not going according to their plan. They needed to observe the situation and adjust their plans.
Then he would no longer give the Imperial Clan a chance to make arrangements. You don't want war now? Then I will insist on war, and not only war, but the bigger the war, the better.
As soon as troops are dispatched and war breaks out, he will immediately inform the top forces in Dagan, as well as the imperial court and Martial World arts sects, that the bigger the war becomes, the better. You all have to take action eventually, and you must take action. It would be best if it could escalate to the point of a national war, the kind where no one can escape.
You've been forced to take action; this game can't be played solely according to your own ideas.
He refused to believe that the Imperial Clan would ignore the attack on Cangshui. This was clearly telling the world that there was something fishy going on. Moreover, there were Xuantian Dao Sect, the Li Family, and the Three Demon Mountain involved. If anyone was going to make a move, they would all move together. He wondered what the Imperial Clan would do then.
It's not just the Imperial Clan; when the war reaches that point, even the Great Feng Dynasty will likely emerge.
As he pondered this, Chu Xuanao smiled meaningfully.
In fact, the Imperial Clan's secret establishment of the Corpse Immortal Sect and their behind-the-scenes schemes were not entirely bad for him. At least it showed that the Imperial Clan was powerful. Since they were so powerful, Chu Xuanao could act with confidence.
At least on the surface, in the eyes of the world, it's obvious who decided on this action; someone is definitely backing them up.
Let's conquer Cangshui first, take over this territory, and then we can talk about other things. It'll also be a good opportunity to strengthen the Imperial Clan.
If you're so capable, why hide it?
The bright moon hung high in the sky. While Chu Xuanao and the others were discussing, Lu Bu, who had set off from Zhenyou City, also encountered a dog blocking his way. The hazy moonlight shone on the official road of Taizhou, and eight hundred iron cavalrymen galloped past. The sound of their horses' hooves whistling past could be heard, like a pack of wolves running.
The iron cavalry, majestic and swift as the wind, galloped along under the bright moonlight, heading towards the Tiandu City.
Lu Bu, who was leading the army at the front on the official road, seemed to sense something and slowed down from a distance, eventually stopping. The eight hundred Wolf Cavalry beside him also Lu Bu down and stopped at the same time.
The Bingzhou Wolf Riders moved with seemingly perfect uniformity, the entire army standing ready for battle. The four generals, Cheng Lian, Wei Xu, Song Xian, Hou Cheng, stared sharply ahead.
Lu Bu's gaze was also scrutinizing as he looked towards the center of the official road ahead.
About twenty meters ahead of Lu Bu, in the middle of the official road, a Nine-ringed Zen Staff was stuck in the ground. The staff was entirely black, and nine white skulls hung from the large ring at the top, making the whole staff look sinister and evil.
A monk's staff stood on the official road. Daring to block the path of his Bingzhou Wolf Riders, Lu Bu couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
He had already discovered the hidden person. There was only one person, yet they dared to block his path, Lu Bu. Was this a provocation?
Or did they simply not even give Lu Bu a second glance?
Lu Bu pointed his halberd at a spot, his voice tinged with coldness, and said loudly.
"Aren't you coming out? This general is here! You dare block my way but not show yourself?"
"Does this general still have to invite you out?"
After Lu Bu finished speaking, a figure flew out instantly from where the Heavenly Halberd was pointed, leaving a fleeting afterimage, and at the same time, a voice with an extremely arrogant tone rang out.
"Haha, General Lü's senses are indeed sharp."
A figure landed beside the monk's staff, his right hand gripping it. It was a bald monk dressed in black, his head bowed, his smooth, round bald head shining brightly in the moonlight.
The bald monk looked up at Lu Bu, revealing a face full of flesh, rough and ferocious. He didn't have the air of a monk; he had the air of a bandit and looked like a bald, fierce bandit.
The monk nodded at Lu Bu, scratched his head with one hand, his eyes filled with disdain, and a mocking smile curled at the corner of his mouth, exuding arrogance. Every gesture seemed to say that he didn't even look at Lu Bu properly.
The man slowly bowed, his face arrogant and defiant as he spoke to Lu Bu.
"This humble monk Zhi Xie. I have come to see General Lü today to request that General Lü accompany me. I hope you will not put me in a difficult position!"