The Eye of the Game

But as enjoyable as it was, was the abbot's mission doomed to failure?

Li Fan stood there, staring blankly at the chaotic scene before him.

The surrounding guards were terrified by the sword strike and scattered like birds and beasts.

Just then, a group of knights galloped out of the Imperial City. Li Fan was too exhausted to hide, so he just stood there and watched them.

These men did not look like imperial guards, nor did they appear to have fought all night. Instead, they wore bright armor, their helmets adorned with white feathers, and rode tall, magnificent horses, carrying spears and bows. They were exceptionally spirited.

The lead knight glanced at the scene before him, then exchanged a look with Li Fan was standing on the main road at the entrance. He pointed his bow at Li Fan, and immediately another knight dismounted and led his horse to Li Fan.

What's going on? Horse riding? I can't do that!

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, it's alright. Riding a horse is very simple. I'll teach you."

Sword intent! And the Kun (a mythical fish) is crawling on the horse's head!

Li Fan was momentarily confused, but he still instinctively mounted his horse, and Kun and the sword intent also crawled into his sleeve, reuniting with him!

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, hehehe, actually slew a sect leader of a divine cult, not bad, not bad, that's more like the successor of my Beichen Sword Sect!'

Hey, hurry up and shave that light bulb off my head! Damn it, I'm getting surrounded and beaten up!

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, it's alright, it's alright. You've triggered it many times already. It disappears as soon as the sun shines at dawn. Oh, but you're really something else, triggering it so many times and still alive and kicking without losing your mind...'

Damn, you're the idiot! Seriously, what's going on here? Who are these people? Where are they headed?

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, oh, these people are the Captain of the Guard of Li Country, the Left Imperial Guards. The leader is the Grand Commandant's son. Just now they killed the Inner Attendant of the Eastern Palace and strangled the Prince of An. Now the Grand Commandant is stationed in Changsi City and has sent his son to the east of the city to find your abbot and enthrone you as the ruler of Li Country.'

Oh, to enthrone me as... and so on!

Li Fan was momentarily stunned.

No, but the Wang Family seems to be allies of Lu Chai! And isn't that Grand Tutor the adopted son of the Inner Palace Attendant? They probably want to enthrone Prince of An, Li Kuan, right? He just killed someone surnamed Wang and had a good time, didn't he?

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, that's what they were thinking. Seeing that the Guo Family had already started to take action, they planned to strike first. They even sent a box of pastries, hiding a forged edict for the succession of Prince of An, and sent it into the palace to Grand Tutor to force him to make a decision."

However, I crossed out Li Kuan's name, gave the crispy pastry to Kun, and when the Grand Commandant saw the empty box containing this imperial edict, he immediately made up his mind to betray us.

"Hey, it's a good thing he betrayed us. This guy surnamed Wang and his eunuch godfather are both Martial God. If they really fought, it would have been a long battle. If the Grand Commandant hadn't attacked from behind, injuring the old eunuch and forcing him to flee, he wouldn't have won so decisively."

Li Fan looked at Kun.

'Kun, the crispy pastry is delicious.'

Li Fan, "..."

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent, so kid, if you want it, from this moment on, the Li Country belongs to Li You."

Li Fan paused for a moment, thought about it, and shook his head without hesitation.

"I am not Li You, I am Qingyue."

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, hehe, your Dao heart is quite firm, not bad, you're a promising young man... Hey! What happened to your flying sword! How did it get like this overnight! Where's the Ghost Slayer?! Where did the Ghost Slayer fly off to?!'

Li Fan took out his sword case, chanted an incantation, and retrieved the Demon-Slaying Sword. Then, guided by the sword intent, he followed the cavalry through the streets of Changsi City, galloping wildly and rushing straight out of the city. There were no more opportunities for killing or any foolish cultivators to stop him.

So they made it to a small hill outside the east city before sunrise. The pavilion on the hilltop, surrounded by clouds and pines, was Lou Guan's branch temple in Changsi City.

To his surprise, the scene was completely different from what he had imagined: a fierce battle that would cause mountains to collapse and rivers of blood to flow. Although he could see the small mountain with his Divine Sense using the Qi Observation Technique, and it was a gathering place for all True Cultivator and countless enlightened masters, there was not a trace of damage whatsoever. It was as if no one was fighting at all, and everyone was just there to drink tea and admire the flowers.

The cavalrymen rode their horses at the foot of the mountain, but only Grand Tutor's son followed Li Fan up the mountain.

This person should be the one named Wang Lang among the four great dandies. He was wearing armor, carrying a bow and sword on his back, and holding a bloody baggage with an unknown number of heads in his hands. It was obvious that he was also an expert in hegemony skills, and had a father who was a god of war to back him up. However, he did not act as domineering as the rumors said. Instead, he followed Li Fan up the mountain step by step.

Li Fan was also a little confused by his submissive manner towards him.

Who the hell is this guy?

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent, your head and face are covered in bits of human flesh.'

Damn it! It's all because the spells you taught always involve skinning and flesh-slicing!

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, stop joking around. Change into clean clothes before going up. This is a formal occasion; you absolutely cannot be impolite, you understand?"

With the Profound Heaven Sword Intent so solemnly reminding him, Li Fan roughly understood the nature of the struggle above.

Sure enough, when he reached the mountain gate halfway up the mountain, he encountered two young Daoist disciples who were probably sent by the abbot.

One of the young Daoist boys held a jade Jade Pure Bottle with a willow twig inserted inside. The other boy held a brocade crown embroidered with auspicious clouds and beasts. It was clearly not something a mountain dweller would wear.

So Li Fan refused the brocade robes offered to him, and took Li You out of his sleeve to give them first aid. While the two Daoist boys were caught off guard and frantically trying to save him, he used Jade Pure Bottle to wash off the filth on his body, changed into a proper set of formal attire, and dressed neatly and cleanly, choosing a pair of brand-new straw sandals. Because his Daoist power had been completely exhausted, his skin had faded and returned to its original appearance.

Wang Lang stared dumbfounded at Li Fan, who was dressed in Daoist robes, and then looked down at Li You, who was barely recognizable as a human. He couldn't tell them apart for a moment, so he simply lowered his head and remained silent, pretending to be a stone at the door.

Li Fan ignored him and bowed to the two young disciples, asking, "Senior brothers, is he still alive?"

"They can live, as long as they have a breath left, they can be saved, but we are ordered to wait for Li You. Which one of you is it?"

"He is..." Li Fan thought for a moment, then took out the jade tablet he had obtained from the monster last time from his pocket. "This is probably his too."

The young Daoist took the item, glanced at it, nodded, and handed it to his companion. Then he looked at Li Fan and said, "Then you're not qualified to go up the mountain. The affairs of the mountain are not for ordinary disciples."

Li Fan shook his head and took out the bundle from his arms. "I'm here to deliver a message to the abbot."

Seeing that he had prepared such ample supplies for the mission, the two disciples were a little dumbfounded. After thinking for a moment, they nodded and let him go up.

After a moment of hesitation, the Wang Lang simply continued to squat at the mountain gate, guarding Li You.

So Li Fan climbed the stone steps alone and reached the top of the mountain.

A large group of people were kneeling in the outer hall.

The distinction was clear: on the left were Daoist priests in hemp robes, and on the right were high-ranking officials and military officers. They all claimed to be disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain and had come to be punished by kneeling. Yet, they were all officials with positions of authority and were prominent figures in the Li Country.

Ignoring the glances and whispers from both sides, Li Fan walked through the center, paused at the middle hall, turned around, and asked, "Which one is Duhu Huang Hai, the Xiping Protectorate?"

The outer hall was deathly silent; not even a pin drop could be heard.

"Huang Hai isn't here, so what's wrong with you now?"

Li Fan turned to look at Real Person Wei of the Discipline Institute, who stood before him with a dark face and as thin as a bamboo pole, and directly complained, "Huang Hai has harmed the people; his crimes are heinous and he deserves to die."

"You..." Real Person Wei frowned slightly, but as if someone had said something to him, he waved his hand and said, "I understand. I will investigate this matter and will not tolerate it if it is true. You can go in and deliver the message."

Li Fan bowed to him and continued walking through the central hall into the inner hall.

Inside the inner hall, on the left and right sides, stood two groups of people, each seemingly on equal footing.

To the right was a group from the Nangong Family, numbering about a hundred civil and military officials. Judging from their ceremonial guard and uniforms, and the fact that their weapons were all ceremonial objects, they didn't seem to be there for war. Instead, they appeared to be an envoy carrying imperial credentials. Behind them was the eastern sky, where one could clearly see auspicious seven-colored clouds, Immortal Palace obscuring the sun and almost blocking out the rising sun.

On the left are seven Daoist nuns in white robes and black gowns, all carrying whisks, swords on their backs, and veils on their heads—identically dressed. Their appearances and expressions differ slightly, but judging from their imposing aura, they are all Nascent Soul Realm cultivators. Genuine cultivators; if you approach them just because they are women and assume they are cultivation vessels for the Immortal Palace, you're simply courting death...

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent, oh dear~~ My junior sister from Emei~~'

The seven Daoist nuns turned their heads at the same time and glared at Li Fan, their brows furrowed and their fourteen pupils flashing like stars.

Li Fan broke out in a cold sweat from the glares of the seven Daoist nuns.

Wow! Sword Intent, you're not a kid anymore! Don't mess with me!

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, what's the panic? Stare back! The direct descendants of the mountain are the most energetic when they get down to business!'

You probably mean the simple "fighting" kind of "doing it," right...?

Li Fan braced himself against their gazes, expecting a harsh lesson. But to his surprise, the Emei nuns stared at him for a moment, then blinked, the sharp glint in their eyes vanished, their expressions relaxed, and they even smiled and bowed to him!

Li Fan hurriedly returned the greeting. Damn, am I some kind of heartthrob?

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, bah! With the Blood Execution Seal above your head, even the most powerful cultivators would be all smiles when they see you.'

"This must be the Prince of Jian'an." Surprisingly, the leader of the Nangong Family's envoy also stepped forward, smiling at Li Fan, "I used to hold you when you were little. Do you remember?"

Do you regret not throwing him to your death when you were holding him?

"I don't remember. You've probably mistaken me for someone else."

Li Fan narrowed his eyes. What was this guy up to now? Why was someone from the Nangong Family smiling at him?

"Ahem," thankfully Yao Xuanzhou also came out of the inner hall at this moment. "Oh, Qingyue, do you have something to ask the abbot? Don't take too long."

Please wait a moment, everyone. I will give you a reply by dawn.

The leading nun of Emei then stopped looking at Li Fan, turned to Yao Xuanzhou with a cold snort, and said, "Then you should stop your magic and let Tianming see!"

Yao Xuanzhou laughed and winked at Li Fan.

So Li Fan, sweating profusely, walked into the inner hall and took out the bundle, ignoring the gazes of everyone behind him.

"Disciple Qingyue greets the Abbot. This was brought by a senior brother who cannot show his face."

Feng Qingniu, the abbot of Lou Guan, was sitting at his desk reading letters. On the desk were three other unopened envelopes, which were blue, yellow, and red from left to right.

"Qingyue, perfect timing, I have something to ask you," Guanzhu Feng raised his head, nodded to Li Fan, and without even looking at the account book, gestured for him to sit down at the table. "When you went to the South Sea to retrieve the sword, did you kill Ji Hao, the Qingyang Sect?"

Li Fan bowed and sat on the futon, opening his mouth in surprise, "... Huh?"

"The Profound Heaven Sword Intent asked you if you killed a man named Ji Hao from the Qingyang Sect."

The abbot added, "His previous Dharma name was Ji Mingguang."

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent, what?!'

Li Fan, bewildered, realized, "It was indeed my disciple who killed him. I even learned his Qiongqi transformation."

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent?! You?! Impossible!'

The abbot nodded, folding the letter in his hand. "I see, that explains it."

'Profound Heaven Sword Intent, what a load of nonsense! It's that Ji Mingguang!?'

Li Fan, jolted back to his senses by the noise of the Profound Heaven Sword Intent, thought, "What the hell? Why isn't the Abbot asking about Lu Chai's Blood Lord affairs, Li You and Qingyue's affairs, the Southern Faction and Northern Faction's affairs, this ledger's affairs, or even whether he enjoyed cutting open the Taiji Palace? Why is he only asking about the demon Ji Mingguang he encountered in the South China Sea?"

Can we please stop jumping around and start logically structuring the plot? Seriously...

"Uh... as the Abbot said, at that time this fiend was already terminally ill and deeply addicted to demonic possession. With the help of four True Immortals and four Golden Core cultivators, the nine of us managed to defeat this demon. I wonder what the Abbot wishes to ask..."

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent? Impossible! Impossible! I thought the Nascent Divine Transformation you eliminated was the worst of the worst, the kind of trash that even the Immortal Palace could send to the South Sea, and you could just eliminate him with a flick of your wrist. But I met Ji Mingguang back then! His Dao Heart was quite good, okay?! If you had defeated him at the Nascent Soul Realm stage, that would be one thing, but a difference of two stages is just too outrageous!'

Ugh, sword intent, you're so annoying! That's why I said it was a siege, and besides, his Dao heart had already collapsed at that time...

The abbot nodded and then asked Li Fan, "Do you still remember the first time you met him?"

"The first time? Hmm, the first time he didn't show himself, he hid in the cabin. The maids picked people from his group to kill and eat," Li Fan recalled. "The first time I actually saw him in person was at the sword furnace at the bottom of the sea..."

The abbot interrupted him, "How many people did he bring?"

Li Fan truly dumbfounded. Damn it! In this situation, the abbot was asking him how many people a demon he'd encountered three or four months ago had brought with him to eat? Was he some kind of joke?

The abbot repeated, "Think carefully, how many people are involved? This is very important."

Is this really that important? Li Fan hesitated for a moment, but luckily he had a photographic memory. After thinking carefully, he could recall, "Three sampans, each with seven or eight people hanging from bamboo poles, so there were probably twenty-one or twenty-four people..."

The abbot then asked, "How many Golden Core cultivators are there?"

Li Fan did remember, "Three, um, one of them was a little weak in cultivation, I think he was using dual cultivation to make up the number, cough cough, no other meaning..."

The abbot nodded. "That's right."

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, oh, the Three Peaks Seven Desires Life-Sustaining Method, I see. You're lucky, kid, always picking up the scraps.'

Three what...

The abbot explained, "This is the Three Peaks Seven Desires Life-Sustaining Method, an evil technique used to prolong life by eating people when severely injured. Golden Core Stage cultivator can eat three people a day for twenty-one days to completely heal internal injuries and greatly increase their power. If the person eating the food is not yet at the Golden Core stage, then seven people must be eaten to equal one person, for a full forty-nine days. This method can heal any injury. However, if you eat one less day or one less person, all previous efforts will be wasted, and you will have to start all over again."

What kind of bizarre and evil magic is this? So, that old demon was injured before, right? Li Fan can see that his mood cap is low, he's Five Declines of Heaven and Man, and he's dirt poor, without a single magical treasure, looking like a beggar...

Fortunately, the abbot didn't play the riddle game. He handed the letter to Li Fan, saying, "This is a letter that Yue Lanzi sent back from Kunlun. The Divine Sect took advantage of Ji Mingguang's failure to break through to the Enlightenment Stage and launched a major attack, conquering Qingyang Sect and allowing him to break through the encirclement and escape. Now it seems that he was indeed seriously injured at the time and was almost on the verge of death."

Unexpectedly, even after escaping to the South China Sea, he still met his end at your hands. Every gain and loss has its own destiny. With Ji Mingguang gone, the Qingyang Sect's lineage has been lost, and the entire Northern Kunlun region has fallen into the hands of the Divine Sect.

So, by that calculation, he escaped from the cult within forty-nine days... They acted too quickly, almost simultaneously from multiple sides, leaving no room for error... It was all planned in advance..."

Yue Lanzi, Ji Mingguang, the Divine Sect, Qingyang Sect...

Li Fan looked at the letter in his hand. Although he could read all the words, he still didn't understand what he was reading.

The scale is different. He couldn't even get to Changsi City in a day and a night, let alone Kunlun... it's just too far...

The abbot seemed to sense Li Fan's confusion and said to him calmly, "Don't rush. Once you know this key point, you can deduce the cause and effect of many things. Put it aside for now, and then look at this letter."

So Li Fan looked at the yellow letter that the abbot pointed to, and picked it up to look at it at the abbot's prompting.

The envelope was addressed to the Li Prefecture Governor and the General Who Guards the South. It was filled with various official titles and generals, recommending this person and that person, making it dizzying to read. Finally, it was signed by the Grand Tutor.

' Profound Heaven Sword Intent, wow, your abbot's official rank is so high! And it was actually a letter personally written by the Grand Tutor!'

Huh? Isn't he the Imperial Preceptor? Shouldn't he be higher in rank than the Grand Tutor?

"Profound Heaven Sword Intent, what do you know? Official positions in vassal states are just made up; who will recognize them outside the borders? But even if one reaches the highest rank, in the Human Dao can only be appointed as one of the Three Dukes: Grand Commandant, Minister of Education of Works, or Minister of Agriculture."

The titles of Grand Tutor Grand Commandant, and Grand General, which belong to the Three Dukes, can only be bestowed upon the actual rulers of the Three Palaces Immortal Palace. At the very least, one must possess the strength of the Enlightenment Stage to secure such a position.

The Grand Tutor specifically refers to the current Prime Minister of the Immortal Palace, who holds power in the court. The four vassal states and eight subordinate states cannot exceed the bounds of propriety in using this official position. Even the head of all officials in the Li Country is only the Grand Imperial Censor, a deputy to the Prime Minister. In fact, this is already somewhat overstepping the bounds; other places generally do not have a Prime Minister, or they appoint a Secretary to avoid such transgressions.

You really understand sword intent...

' The Profound Heaven Sword Intent, alas, back then I was young and impetuous. After achieving merit, I wrote to the Immortal Palace wanting to become a Great General, but I was ridiculed by everyone and brought shame to the sect...'

... Don't mind me, you're definitely not the only one who's tarnished the reputation of the Beichen Sword Sect in this regard.

The abbot knew that Li Fan, this country bumpkin from the remote mountains, couldn't possibly understand proper official documents from the Three Palaces, so he explained, "This is from the Three Palaces. The Grand Tutor personally intervened to mediate the conflict between my Ink Bamboo Mountain and the Nangong Immortal Family. Furthermore, to resolve the feud between the two families, he intends to grant you the title of Guan Nei Hou and act as matchmaker for you to marry a princess from the Nangong Family. The Nangong Family has also agreed."

Li Fan was utterly speechless.

The Nangong Family has gone too far!

Killing someone is just a matter of beheading them, but to also destroy their spirit is unacceptable!

And what's wrong with you all?! Everyone's drooling over my voluptuous figure!

Kun says, "Ugh!"