PS: The new book needs plenty of readers to follow along. If you keep reading, Loli will repay you with ten thousand words every day after it goes on sale. Please!
Watching the two of them grapple, Su Qingqiu's mouth twitched. Black lines seemed to cover his forehead as he silently put away the Evil Bones diary beside him.
He couldn't help shivering.
Lingyuan Transformation was terrifying...
Just look at what Lingfa had become. He had no idea who he took after.
After they fought for a while, Yuanming realized he couldn't kill Lingfa. His expression darkened, and he abruptly withdrew from the battle.
The surging magic power around them slowly returned to his body, and the Water Dragon's Roar in his hand faded away.
Lingfa's strength had far exceeded his expectations.
Could it be a gift from the Devil Lord?
Yuanming was shocked.
Seeing this, Lingfa picked up his brush and began writing again: "Today, Yuanming fought me to a draw. He was unable to defeat me. Judging by how furious and humiliated he looks, I suspect he may be harboring disloyal intentions toward the Devil Lord!"
Yuanming: "???"
What did any of that even mean? What was the logical connection?
Was this guy insane on top of being insane?
Yuanming gritted his teeth and said furiously, "Damn it, don't you dare frame me! I've always been utterly loyal to the Devil Lord. I've never been disloyal."
"You're the one trying to drive a wedge between me and the Devil Lord. Your intentions are vile!"
Lingfa actually nodded, as if he completely agreed. Then he picked up his brush and wrote: "Silver-tongued and adept at sophistry. He even likes to turn the tables and accuse others. His disloyalty to the Devil Lord is beyond doubt."
Yuanming laughed in fury. "Fine, fine, fine... You've got nerve! I'll explain myself when the Devil Lord's envoy arrives. There's no need for you to worry about it."
"You'd better not leave Dragon-Raising Temple. Otherwise, if you die for some inexplicable reason, I'll be the one who has to collect your corpse!"
Yuanming's sinister threat made Lingfa instinctively take a step back. He stared fixedly at the other man, gritted his teeth, and wrote: "I was threatened today. If I die one day, Yuanming will be responsible. Devil Lord, please make sure to kill him and scatter his ashes to the winds!"
Watching the ridiculous Lingfa nearly drive Yuanming mad, Su Qingqiu almost laughed himself breathless.
Good heavens, after his Lingyuan Transformation, Lingfa really was a talent. With him keeping an eye on Yuanming, Su Qingqiu felt much more at ease.
Now that Lingfa's strength had greatly increased, and his Lingyuan Transformation was intensifying, it wouldn't be long before even Yuanming was no match for him. Then they could find an opportunity to wipe out the whole nest of parasites at Dragon-Raising Temple.
Thinking this, Su Qingqiu turned his gaze back to Xuan Ye.
At that moment,
Xuan Ye and Yuanhui sat facing each other on meditation cushions. After the attendant beside them refilled their tea, he withdrew.
Even Fang Wenshan had left.
Xuan Ye lifted the teapot and personally filled the cup in front of Yuanhui. "This is spiritual tea I found overseas. It produces only one liang every ten years. It can awaken the mind, open one's understanding, and temper one's Daoism Cultivation and magic power. It is truly extraordinary."
"Please, Master."
Yuanhui took a small sip, and her eyes brightened slightly. As the tea went down, she felt the Daoism Cultivation and magic power throughout her body begin to circulate rapidly. For a moment, both her body and mind relaxed considerably.
She praised it, saying, "Amitabha. It truly is fine tea! In all my years, I've never encountered spiritual tea like this. I'm fortunate indeed."
Xuan Ye smiled faintly and continued, "Though this spiritual tea is difficult to harvest, I still have some left. And I have plenty of other treasures that aid cultivation as well."
"I can promise that if you help me, I'll give all these treasures to you."
At his words, Yuanhui sighed inwardly.
She'd known Xuan Ye hadn't invited her alone to discuss Buddhism. But even though she knew this prince, who ruled the Imperial Court, never visited without a reason, she had no choice but to come.
Though the monks of Dragon-Raising Temple were people beyond the world, they still lived within Zhaoyang Country and were subject to the Imperial Court's authority. No matter what, they couldn't refuse a summons from the one who ruled the Imperial Court.
"Your Highness, those who have left the household do not tell lies. Dragon-Raising Temple truly has no True Dragon. These treasures are fine, but... I'm afraid I cannot accept them."
Yuanhui smiled bitterly as she spoke, then set her teacup back down.
Her meaning was clear.
Yet Xuan Ye wasn't angered. Instead, he asked, "Let's not talk about the True Dragon today. There's something else I don't understand. Master, what do you think of the state of Zhaoyang Country today?"
Yuanhui furrowed her brow slightly but said nothing.
"If you won't speak, then allow me. The people are suffering, evil spirits are rampant, and the signs all point to our fate running out and the country nearing its end."
"Am I wrong?"
Xuan Ye's voice was cold.
"This... Your Highness, you're taking it too far. Amitabha. You mustn't speak recklessly, mustn't speak recklessly." Yuanhui was startled. Xuan Ye's words sent a chill down her back, and cold sweat broke out all at once.
Xuan Ye shook his head, rose from his seat, and walked to the window. Gazing at the rain outside, he continued, "Too far? Heh. Not at all."
"It has been ten years since Emperor Wenchang Xuan Jing withdrew from public affairs and devoted himself to researching the path to immortality. I've seen with my own eyes how the people of Zhaoyang Country have fared during those ten years."
"Take Great Wasteland, for example. Three years ago, drought struck, and almost no grain was harvested across the region. Then an evil being from Beyond Heaven descended. That year, 973,865 people died. That number is still etched deeply in my heart."
"Besides that, two years ago the drought in the northwest continued, while floods struck the Luo River region. The people were driven from their homes, and three million died!"
"And this year, three years of drought have wrung the last drop of oil from Great Wasteland. Nearly a third of the people in the entire region—tens of millions—face the risk of starving to death."
"But the ridiculous thing is, when the Giant Rat demon descended, it not only stole the relief grain the people depended on to survive, but also worked with officials to steal grain together. 'Great rats, great rats, eat no grain of ours!' In endless despair, the people can only shout this pitiful slogan."
Bang!
Xuan Ye slammed his fist on the table. His face showed overwhelming anger, along with the faintest trace of helplessness.
"And what about our emperor? What is he doing? He's researching immortality. He's searching for a True Dragon, hoping to bathe in dragon's blood! He's constantly plundering rare treasures from every corner of the country, hoping to extend his thousand-year rule."
"Master, though he is my elder brother, I cannot agree with his actions. To me, what he's doing is no different from what an evil spirit would do!"
"The heavens over Zhaoyang Country have reached the point where they must change."
At those words, Yuanhui could no longer remain calm. She sprang to her feet, her expression dark. "Your Highness, this is a crime of high treason! Though I have left the world behind, I know that you must not entertain such thoughts. You're cutting off your own future!"
Changing heaven and earth was easy to say. If it happened, it would surely bring devastation and death, and the people's suffering would only grow worse.
The calamities of war were often far more terrible than natural disasters.
Xuan Ye remained unmoved, his gaze still fixed on the dark clouds in the sky. After a long while, he continued, "No. I'm not cutting off my future. I'm saving myself."
"Have you ever considered what use I, a prince, would be if Zhaoyang Country itself were destroyed? I have to save myself, and the first step is to topple the foolish ruler and bring a wise sovereign to the throne!"
"And right now, we have a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity! Master, I beg you to lend me your support."
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