Scheming

Upon hearing this, the Sima of Guangyang paused for a moment.

This was the first time he had ever heard a soldier below ask him why.

Why?

There's no reason why!

In the military, orders from superiors to subordinates are absolute; there's no question of why!

So, the Guangyang Sima's voice rang out again. "Why? There are no whys in the army! Are you going to disobey orders?"

Upon hearing this, the Deputy General felt his Qi and Blood rush to his head, his face turned bright red, and even his hands trembled.

Today, he has heard "disobeying orders" many times.

Disobey orders! Disobey orders! Disobey orders!

Another act of disobeying orders!

Is that all these important figures have to say besides this one sentence?!

However, the Deputy General held back and knelt on one knee. "I dare not hide it from you, Sima. It's just that your military orders conflict with those of the generals, so I dare not think about it."

"Thirty years ago, there was a notorious bandit named Bai Yue in Guangyang. He used his family's wealth accumulated over generations to gather the people of an entire prefecture, raise an army, and invade the capital. No one could stop him. He intended to carve out a piece of land and submit to the Swallowing Heaven Demon Nest, causing great harm."

"When General Lie saw this, he rushed to the scene to punish the rebels. He risked his life and his family to hold off the rebels for Ten Suns until the king arrived to help. In the end, he stopped the great disaster. Although he did not achieve the greatest merit, his actions were enough to uphold righteousness in the world and repay the country's kindness! The king once said: 'Lie Kedi is a loyal minister of the Hundred Forests and should be treated as National Scholar.' So he bestowed upon him the White Rhinoceros Army."

"The white rhinoceros is the most divine among rhinoceroses. Its horn shines brightly. In the daytime, it appears as a horn, and in the dark of night, when a sundial is thrown, it shines brightly, with light emanating from within, appearing like a torch. Thus, it is used as a guide for righteousness. If a rhinoceros horn is destroyed and used to illuminate the horn, it can reveal a hundred ghosts and testify to loyalty and goodness. This is used to praise the loyalty and bravery of General Lie."

"General Lie is such a loyal and righteous man, a national National Scholar handpicked by the king. Why was he imprisoned by Sima? We, as his direct subordinates, were given military orders before the king left, instructing us to protect the disaster victims. The white rhinoceros is a benevolent beast that can distinguish right from wrong and expose all evil spirits. We take the white rhinoceros as our military banner, so naturally we should also have bright eyes and not be like those stupid oxen that close their eyes and let anyone pull them along!"

The Deputy General raised his head and shouted, his voice booming. The white military flag fluttered and condensed into Soldier's Qi, swirling into the sky. A gentle white rhinoceros appeared above the army formation, clear and discerning, and let out a soft growl.

Then, all the soldiers of the White Rhinoceros Army struck their weapons, making solemn sounds.

Clearly, the Deputy General's words resonated with the White Rhinoceros Army soldiers.

It's clear that the true commander of the White Rhinoceros Army holds a very high position in their hearts.

Perhaps only a general like him could build a legion like the White Rhinoceros Army.

This unexpected turn of events also caused great panic among the people living nearby.

They didn't understand what was going on.

Has the government abandoned them? Why did White Rhinoceros Army, who was previously kind and caring towards the people, start arguing with his superiors?

It's important to understand that the reason these people were so at ease was because the White Rhinoceros Army always told them that the government wouldn't abandon them. In addition, the White Rhinoceros Army always set an example by never abandoning anyone when danger came. This gave them Anxin, and it was only then that 100,000 people could be evacuated smoothly without any mishaps.

White Rhinoceros Army kept telling them that the government wouldn't ignore it; they just weren't available to intervene at the moment.

Therefore, when Mr. Li arrived, they all kept praising the government.

But what's going on now?

However, nobody cares about them now.

But all I saw was...

In the sky, the voice of the Guangyang Sima sounded impatient, "Temporary commander, are you going to lead the White Rhinoceros Army in rebellion?"

The Deputy General shouted back to the sky, "It's not a rebellion! It's—"

The Deputy General was speaking when a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, and a Dragon Steed with blue scales and black fur swept across the distance, chasing the wind and lightning, its hooves treading on auspicious clouds, galloping towards them.

Thunder and lightning clashed, wind and rain raged, the thunderous roar of galloping iron horses echoed, the wind howled and drums pounded, the Dragon Steed galloped with tremendous force, instantly drawing the attention of countless people.

Almost everyone around turned their gaze toward the seat, where a young man sat with a serious expression and two golden lines following him like a shadow. Just then, he flew over and interrupted the Deputy General's words with a voice that resounded throughout the surroundings, "It's not a rebellion, but rather! Restoring order!"

It was Li Qi!

Li Qi finally arrived from over there!

However, the words "correcting the wrongs" left the White Rhinoceros Army completely bewildered.

To set things right?

What does Mr. Li mean by that? Does it mean the White Rhinoceros Army wasn't the one disobeying orders and rebelling? But—

Just as everyone was stunned, Li Qi shouted loudly, "Soldiers! Do not believe this man's slander. He is not the Sima of Guangyang at all!"

You've been scammed!

Upon hearing this, a commotion erupted below.

Not only the soldiers, but even the civilians nearby heard these words.

The people, who were already bewildered by the sudden turn of events, were now even more confused.

However, Li Qi's response was not words.

Just after Li Qi finished speaking, a sharp light suddenly shone from the sky!

A murderous intent surged forth!

The killing intent enveloped the surroundings, thick as mercury, yet calm as a mirror, spreading down from the heavens like a sudden downpour of raindrops from a collapsing sky!

Its force resembled half the sky collapsing, and its sound was like a raging river.

It was as if the heavens were enraged.

Everyone around seemed to be bound by ropes.

The White Rhinoceros Army below, protected by their Soldier's Qi, still had a chance to catch their breath, but Li Qi was stiff all over and unable to resist at all.

How could they possibly resist?

He would have a hard time even facing an eighth-rank official, but this man in front of him, who claimed to be the Sima of Guangyang, was a seventh-rank official.

A seventh-rank official—what kind of divine being is that?

The Sima of a province is like a supreme being within a radius of ten thousand miles. He commands countless elite soldiers and fierce generals, and his words can shake millions. He can easily decide the life and death of countless people.

Under such an attack, Li Qi had absolutely no chance to fight back.

As the 'raindrops' fell to the ground, the sky seemed to tilt.

Just as Li Qi was about to be destroyed, a strange phenomenon suddenly appeared all around.

Sparkling flames flew like purple fire, and dazzling lightning flashed like golden snakes. Various yin and Yin-Yang trigrams composed of different numerological techniques emerged.

It was as if a long dragon was winding around Li Qi and flying, with purple flames rising from the ground. Countless Yin-Yang trigrams were like boats, moving swiftly and densely in the water, breaking through the white waves. At first, they were gently swayed, but suddenly the wind became strong, creating whirlpools.

The wrath of the heavens collided with the vortex of Yin-Yang trigrams.

The Yin-Yang trigrams shattered inch by inch, retreating step by step, but their retreat was orderly and methodical, each line dissipating its force, one after another, thread after thread, actually drawing two yin and yang tai chi fish in the air, rotating perfectly, completely dissipating the power of the heavenly wrath without any leakage.

Li Qi was unharmed under the protection of the Tai Chi fish formed by the Yin-Yang trigrams.

The force of that collapse was clearly more than ten times stronger than the formation composed of Yin-Yang trigrams, yet it was neutralized just like that.

This is a level that Li Qi's Shaman Technique Method could never reach; the Daoist Sorcery in this respect far surpasses that of Shaman.

The voice of the Guangyang Sima echoed from the sky, "What excellent Technique Method! Which master is watching from the sidelines, trying to disrupt the affairs of the Hundred Forests Kingdom? Dare to show yourself?"

However, there was still only sound, but no True Person appeared.

Upon hearing this, a rabbit on the ground suddenly transformed into human form.

With her hair styled in a slanted bun, she possessed an elegant and graceful demeanor, and a cool and aloof air, like a solitary moon hanging high in the sky.

He just looked a little dazed.

After Shen Shuibi appeared, she shook her head, then spread her hands and moved her slender fingers rhythmically. Countless Yin-Yang trigrams gathered again, moving in opposite directions and dispersing, faintly forming the atmosphere of the Palace of the Great Yin.

No one knows when, but Shen Shuibi actually set up an array here, and it was this array that protected Li Qi's life.

In fact, more than ten Chen earlier, Li Qi had already instructed Shen Shuibi to prepare in advance by communicating through mountains and rivers, and then to transform into a rabbit and hide, preferably without being discovered by others.

At the time, Li Qi felt that he would definitely be ambushed or even killed, so he prepared a backup plan in advance.

But clearly, even Li Qi did not expect to encounter a seventh-rank expert.

And this guy was so shameless that he attacked me.

As for Shen Shuibi, she quickly realized what was happening, looked up at the sky, and said calmly, "You can't touch him."

Her tone was almost flat, just like when she spoke normally.

Guangyang Situ's voice rang out again. "Oh? Why can't I move? You, an eighth-rank official, think you can stop me? Your Technique Method is very exquisite, you must have come from a high-ranking family, but the foundation of Daoism is not here. I'm afraid your family can't help you. If you insist on opposing me, you will not have a good end."

Shen Shuibi remained silent.

The main problem is that she doesn't know what to say; she's not good at communicating.

So she simply leaped up and flew to Li Qi's side, then tilted her head and looked at Li Qi.

Having spent so much time with her, Li Qi understood what she meant.

Next, it's up to Li Qi; he can take command.

Li Qi asked in a low voice, "Can you win?"

Shen Shuibi shook her head, indicating that she couldn't win.

It's still possible for a ninth-rank official to fight an eighth-rank official.

But the gap between an eighth-rank and a seventh-rank is too great. The fact that she can barely restrain him is already the limit of what an eighth-rank can do.

It's important to understand that in many lower-level worlds, the difference between the eighth and seventh ranks is like that between immortals and mortals! The eighth rank is still a cultivator, but the seventh rank has already ascended to immortality, enjoying endless lifespan and carefree existence.

Even Shen Shuibi would find it difficult to operate under such a disparity.

Li Qi nodded, smiling wryly to indicate that he understood.

This is a big problem; we're completely in trouble now.

However, this was not the most difficult thing Li Qi had ever encountered, so he had not given up yet.

The most desperate thing he ever faced was when he was still a low-ranking demon king, and he was facing two sixth-rank Demon King.

The one they're facing now isn't a sixth-rank Demon King, but only a seventh-rank one, and Li Qi is much stronger than before.

Therefore, Li Qi straightened his chest, raised his head, and shouted loudly, "People's eyes can be deceived, the laws of the country can be violated, and all living beings can be fooled, but does the master understand whether Heaven's eyes are extremely clear and its majesty is extremely severe, and one cannot hide from them!"

"Master Chanzhi, your impersonation of the Sima of Guangyang has been exposed!"

Li Qi shouted loudly, but his words startled the White Rhinoceros Army below and Zhang Lan outside the arena.

How come another Chanzhi Master has suddenly appeared?

Some soldiers had heard rumors about Chanzhi, while others had not. As for Zhang Lan, he had no idea that there was such a person as Chanzhi, so Li Qi's shout confused everyone.

What does this have to do with Chanzhi?

The sounds in the sky temporarily ceased.

But Li Qi did not stop.

Although he was the weakest among them, his voice was the loudest. He continued to shout, "That five-tiered pagoda, I misjudged it back then. It wasn't Law Treasure at all, but a manifestation of your Daoist aura! It was formed by you condensing your cultivation and Daoist aura!"

(Let's revisit chapters 171 and 172.)

"The first level is the first path of your Dao Path, with hundred Arhats and a hundred demons, symbolizing your one hundred and eight Demon Subduer, which have formed the foundation of your path."

"The second level is after you subdued the hundred demons, you carefully cultivated meditation and treated things with the Bodhisattva heart. The water in the glass bottle and the cloud-adorned shrine are all like this! It is the result of your Dao heart that suppressed the Demon Subduer spirit in your heart."

"The third level of the Scripture Altar is the process of your devout practice and slow accumulation. It is also the stepping stone for you to go from the eighth grade to the seventh grade. Accumulate scriptures, understand the classics, and make them your own. Then the Buddha's heart is formed, and you step onto the fourth level, which is the Three Buddhas Hall."

"The Three Buddhas Hall on the fourth floor represents your State of Mind. The three Buddha statues are like one person, which is actually you. They represent the Buddha within your heart, the past, the present, and the future!"

"The Buddha of the past is old, wearing a cloud-patterned robe, leaning on a bamboo staff, with a Buddhist script and a scroll of shells lying across his body, representing your past methods of cultivating your mind and character."

"The Buddha you see now is brand new, with his knees drawn up and shoulders hunched, resembling Ghost King, terrifying beyond measure. This represents what you are doing right now. Because your evil spirit of Demon Subduer has backfired, your Dao Path is on the verge of going astray. If you take another wrong step, you will not only resemble Ghost King, but a true Buddha will become a true demon, your Dao Path will be completely destroyed, and you will fall into the demonic path!"

"You want to turn over a new leaf, so you depicted the Future Buddha as sitting alone amidst thousands of mountains, with long eyebrows touching the ground. But Master Chanzhi, is what you are doing now really heading in that direction?"

"Your fifth layer, which is your current appearance, with its canopies, pipa, precious banners, square flags, habali drums, and kapala bowls, is all made of clay. This shows that you have no Buddha's light and your Buddha heart is almost completely lost. Only the form remains, and the True Intention is gone."

"Inside the shrine, there is a Buddha Statue, which is probably the only Buddha heart you have left. However, you used precious materials to sculpt its golden body and added colorful murals. In the paintings, all living beings live in harmony, but the Buddha is the center. It is clear what your intentions are!"

"Master Chanzhi, you want to use the Shaman's way of balancing all things as a reference to restore your Buddha heart and become the White-browed Pure-heart Buddha in your Future Buddha. That's why the murals in your pagoda are like that."

"I'm afraid the Guangyang Sima is the victim of what you've done. If I'm not mistaken, the real Guangyang Sima is already dead. His cultivation has been crushed and absorbed by you. The Sima above your fifth-level pagoda is the evidence."

"This Blood Sacrifice is probably not just to resist demons, but your attempt to imitate the way of Shaman! You are venturing into sacrifice, and this Blood Sacrifice enhanced by the mountain and water array is the strongest Shaman method you know after you devoured Guangyang Sima."

"Master Chanzhi, am I right?" Li Qi asked solemnly, looking up at the sky.

The sky was silent for a moment.

Then, the Guangyang Sima spoke.

"Nonsense."