Do You Think I Was Jealous?

Jiang Ning said, "This matter is far too important; I'm afraid..."

Li Weiyi took the chopsticks and began to eat. "If you report this to the authorities, I will be guilty of betraying the Dao Sect and will surely die. You asked me to trust you, and now that I trust you, you want to kill me?"

Jiang Ning's brows furrowed, caught in a deep dilemma. "Since you emerged from the Underground Immortal Mansion, it means the cult's headquarters really is beneath Fuzhou. The tombstones and graves spreading out from Fuzhou must be the cult's Yin Shi Zhong Dao."

"A great calamity is about to befall the world. If Lingxiao Palace does not eliminate the Sui Sect as soon as possible, the consequences will be unpredictable."

Li Weiyi said, "I know that my life and death are insignificant compared to the lives and deaths of countless people in the world. But do I deserve to die?"

"You... sigh!"

Jiang Ning looked at the list in her hand with a worried expression. "What is this list?"

Li Weiyi said, "I don't know much, only that many Imperial Court experts were captured by the Divine Underground Immortal Mansion. Now, thirty of them have been released, but I don't know who they are. I want to find them, eliminate them, and do what I can for the sake of the people."

Jiang Ning's eyes lit up, sensing that Li Weiyi seemed unchanged.

Li Weiyi's expression turned serious, and he lowered his voice. "My plan is this! I possess the Death Spirit Fire within me, so I cannot directly reveal the secret that the Sui Sect is a branch of the Rice Cult. However, I can sow discord among the forces within the Rice Cult and use the Rice Cult to eliminate the Sui Sect."

Jiang Ning nodded. "This is one of the few ways to break the deadlock, but it will be incredibly difficult to implement. You'll need capable assistants within the Imperial Court and the Sui Sect."

"The Jiu Li Hidden Gate has people within the Sui Sect who hold high positions," Li Weiyi said.

Jiang Ning said, "But within the Imperial Court, Zhuang Yue alone cannot accomplish anything."

Li Weiyi said, "Then who else can we turn to? Taishi Bai?"

"The Taishi Family is in charge of defense, so I'm afraid they can't be of much help. Besides, do you and Taishi Bai really have such a deep relationship? Does he really not care at all about your identity as the son of a heretical cult? Can he completely trust you?" Jiang Ning said.

Li Weiyi asked, "How is Ge Xiantong?"

"He's not even as good as Taishi Bai," Jiang Ning said.

Li Weiyi was troubled and buried her head in her food, saying, "I'll think of another way."

Jiang Ning stared at him seriously, and seeing his completely clueless expression, she finally couldn't help but ask after a long while, "Aren't you going to consider me?"

"Lord Jiang is certainly my first choice. In terms of friendship, wisdom, ability, and character, he is impeccable. There is only one thing that worries me."

Li Weiyi said solemnly, "I heard from Yang Qingxi that the Second Palace Master intends to bestow a marriage upon Yao Qian in order to win over the Sui Sect. And the betrothed is you, the Jiang family's legitimate daughter. By uniting the Sui Sect with the Jiang family through marriage, they can quickly integrate into the Imperial Court and avoid being attacked and ostracized..."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Ning said, "Nonsense, I have never heard of such a thing."

Li Weiyi said, "This statement originated from the Yang Shen Realm, so it should be true. Perhaps it was because you went to the Du'e Temple that this matter was delayed. Yao Qian entered the Longevity Realm at Jiazi; his character, appearance, talent, and speech are all unparalleled in the world. I don't know what you really think, so..."

"Smack!"

Jiang Ning slammed the list down in front of him. "You don't know what I'm thinking, but I know what you're thinking. Just like what you shouted at Nanyan Pass, 'My lover is helping me,' now that you think about it carefully, you probably felt quite uncomfortable at the time."

"Puff!"

Li Weiyi couldn't hold back and sprayed all the tea she had just drunk onto the ground.

Then, feigning composure, he said, "You think I'm jealous? Yes, Fairy Yu has a great reputation, the most beautiful woman in the world, and countless men lose sleep over her. But my Fiancée, Hong Ting, is no less beautiful, is she? In her Daoist robes, she's like a fairy descending to earth; holding a feather fan, she's dashing and heroic. In what way is she inferior to you?"

Jiang Ning lost interest in continuing the conversation. She put on her veil, donned her magical Nightwalker's Robe, and prepared to leave. "I can help you with dealing with the Sui Sect; our goals are the same. If you need my help, just have Zhuang Yue or Grandpa Zhuang pass on the message."

"There's something I need to do right now!"

As Li Weiyi flipped through the list in his hand, he said, "Tomorrow at six quarters past 5 PM, find a way to invite a powerful figure from the Imperial Secretariat to visit Yao Qian."

"That's all?" Jiang Ning asked.

Li Weiyi said, "Yao Qian is incredibly powerful. When fighting him, we mustn't reveal too many clues. Otherwise, it will backfire."

Jiang Ning stepped out of the courtyard, raised her misty almond-shaped eyes, gazed at the Starry Sky above, and sighed deeply. She could sense the hardship Li Weiyi was enduring, struggling to survive in the cracks. Faced with behemoths like the Sui Sect and the heretical cult, he could still force a smile.

"If the whole world praises him, he will not be encouraged; if the whole world criticizes him, he will not be discouraged."

The Qianlong Lantern Festival brought fame and renown.

Although the ancestral lands are gone, their resilience remains.

Life's greatest tribulations cannot change my original aspirations.

Jiang Ning's slender figure gradually disappeared into the distance, swallowed up by the swirling snowflakes.

What follows will be a difficult and dangerous struggle.

Li Weiyi finished the rest of the food, and seeing that heavy snow was approaching, he called out, "Zhuang Yue, prepare a room for me; I'll stay here tonight!"

He was so exhausted that he slept very soundly that night.

I didn't get up until noon the next day. When I opened the door and the magic array, a cold wind howled in, and the sky was overcast.

Heavy hammer blows echoed through the courtyard.

Li Weiyi went down from the attic and followed the sound.

I saw the limping, white-haired Old Man from last night, shirtless, wielding a hammer and striking with all his might.

Next to it was a pile of broken magical artifacts.

The Old Man was melting it down and hammering it into a block of iron.

"Grandpa Zhuang!" Li Weiyi called out, preparing to take his leave.

Old Zhuang put down his War Hammer. His face was gaunt, but his muscles were bulging, giving him a fierce and vigorous appearance. He laughed and said, "Zhuang Yue went to Luantai! Don't rush off yet, let's chat?"

"Okay." Li Weiyi said.

"We're not eating at home today, we're going out to eat."

Old Zhuang led Li Weiyi out, his right leg limping as he walked on the half-foot-thick snow.

Li Weiyi tried to help him up, but he refused.

He laughed and said, "Back then, during the Cangyuan Bloody Battle, my entire leg was broken. Although it was later reattached, the flesh and bones were severely damaged by the power of the Demon Race, and it was impossible to fully recover."

"Is Grandpa Zhuang West Sea Slaves?"

Li Weiyi had long ago realized that Old Zhuang's cultivation was extremely high, and that he had definitely cultivated to the Dao Fruit.

Old Zhuang nodded. "Most of the people living in Qingyun Workshop are veterans of the West Sea Slaves, much like me—either disabled or with their cultivation half-crippled. Fortunately, they're still somewhat useful; they can be used to refine magical artifacts."

"The materials used to forge magical artifacts are extremely precious."

"Like the standard battle sword of the West Sea Slaves, the Nu Ma Zhan, it must be made from the Shenshan Ore Vein Dense Metal."

"Ordinary soldiers' magical weapons are forged from Shenshan Black Iron. The Hundred-Character Weapon-level Nu Ma Zhan must be made of Shenshan Dark Copper. The Thousand Character Artifact must be made of Shenshan Profound Silver."

"But Yun Province, where the Shenshan Ore Vein is located, was swallowed up by the Netherworld of the Departed a thousand years ago. Mining inside will come at a great cost."

Arriving at a noodle shop not far from the gate of Minglun Alley, Old Zhuang ordered two bowls of soup noodles.

He was acquainted with the shopkeeper and was a comrade-in-arms of West Sea Slaves.

Old Zhuang continued, "Zhuang Yue's parents both died in the Cangyuan Great War. I knew I couldn't take good care of her, so I sent her to Luantai. This child is actually quite lonely. Perhaps it's because she didn't have her parents by her side that she's always a bit slow on the uptake, stubborn and inflexible."

Li Weiyi understood Old Zhuang's unspoken meaning. "Grandpa Zhuang, don't worry, I'm not the kind of person who will stop at nothing to achieve my goals. I always finish what I start."

Old Zhuang waved his hand with a smile, "Last night, Zhuang Yue told me a lot. She trusts you a lot and speaks very highly of you... To be precise, the entire Lingxiao City speaks very highly of you now."

"This morning, I heard many old buddies excitedly telling me about your legendary exploits at the Prince's Mansion last night: breaking through the Dao Image, severely injuring Xie Chucai, cultivating the Golden Crow Flame psychic power and the Fusang Divine Tree Spirit God. Your psychic power talent is rare in the world, not much inferior to those Young Son of Heaven."

"I didn't even have the nerve to tell them that this once-in-a-lifetime genius was sleeping in my house."

"By the way, how should I address you, Zuo Ning?"

Li Weiyi said, "Li Weiyi."

Old Zhuang nodded. "Little Li, I'm telling you all this not to blame you, but because I need your help. I'm exactly 120 years old this year, and my time is up to me. After I die, with Zhuang Yue's personality, she won't live long in the Imperial Court or in this chaotic world. Jiang Ning can protect her for a while, but not forever. Just like those two years when she left for the Du'e Temple."

"Take her away from the Imperial Court and to Lizhou. It would be quite good for her to live as a commoner. If you are fortunate enough, you can keep her by your side as a maid."

Old Zhuang was clearly worried about Zhuang Yue's future, and tears welled up in his eyes without him even realizing it.

Li Weiyi said, "Grandpa Zhuang, don't worry, I will definitely take her away."

"Eat noodles, eat noodles..."

Two bowls of noodle soup were served.

Li Weiyi asked, "Actually, I've always been curious about something. What was the reason for the great defeat of the West Sea Slaves back then? The power of the Far West Ash Region and the Demon Race at that time shouldn't have been strong enough to crush you, right?"

Old Zhuang was lost in memories, his heart heavy with sorrow. "In the Battle of Cangyuan, the West Sea Slaves suffered 30,000 casualties, and almost all of them were elite soldiers at the Five Seas Realm or above. From then on, their strength was severely damaged, and they could never reach their peak again."

"Many of our old comrades have secretly analyzed the reasons for the defeat countless times."

"Firstly, naturally, it's because the enemy is powerful."

Secondly, there are many Ember Spirit lurking within the army.

"Thirdly, I've heard a conspiracy theory that some people within the Imperial Court feel the West Sea Slaves pose too great a threat and want to weaken them."

"Fourthly, at that time, Xiao Tian Order happened to be involved, and some people wanted to forcefully push this matter through in the army, which caused great chaos in the army. Perhaps the Imperial Court did not expect that the West Sea Slaves would be defeated so badly, with such heavy casualties, causing a tragedy that would lead to more than ten years of chaos in the world."

Li Weiyi asked, "Do you have any grievances against the Imperial Court?"

Old Zhuang sighed, "Yes, but if one day the flames of war spread to Lingxiao City, we will still take up the Nu Ma Zhan to protect the honor of the West Sea Slaves and all lives worth protecting."

Li Weiyi didn't ask any more questions. After finishing his noodles, he asked Old Zhuang to help him contact Song Lin.

He then secretly entered the Prince's mansion with Song Lin under another identity to refine the Ghost Qi within Song Qingli's body.

It was already late afternoon when I left the West Sea Royal Mansion.

They rented a carriage and headed towards Luantai.

Inside the car, Li Weiyi examined the box of Star Day Pill given to him by Song Lin. There were thirty pills in total, worth millions of Spring Coin. With this huge resource, becoming Six-star Mind Master was just around the corner.

Put it away.

His eyes narrowed, and he released a field of mental energy, enveloping the space inside the car. Only then did he activate the Buddha's Sarira, pulling Tang Wanzhou out of the Blood Mud Space... uh...

It was because they invited him out that Lord Shaojun did not put up a fierce resistance.

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