Promotion and Fortune

Regardless of systems or spies, who betrayed whom, who robbed whom, or who infiltrated whom.

Let's look at raw silk first.

Yes, the Divine Transformation level Wanyu Immortal Silk was twisted into a bundle like a braid, somewhat resembling shimmering silver maltose. Li Fan lifted it; each bundle weighed about ten pounds, filling an entire hold, hidden in a secret chamber on the treasure ship. The chamber's interlayer was made of composite materials, the coating of which resembled the anti-detection bags he had obtained from the Legion Apostle Asiba earlier, likely with similar functions. Li Fan's previous Divine Sense scan hadn't even detected the existence of this secret chamber, let alone its contents. Now, with the entire treasure ship crashing, only a corner had broken open, a tray shattered, and the raw silk spilled out.

Looking into the dark compartment, there were about sixty or seventy bundles on one tray, and a whole lot more in the dark room—it must be... holy crap, at least a hundred thousand catties! If all of this is truly immortal silk, wouldn't that far exceed the production of one or two years? Could the silk reeling process really be this much? Or did the Weaving Bureau secretly hide it until now? Or was it moved out because of a change in management?

But the official in charge of auditing the accounts is a confidant of the Grand Tutor, and the swordsman who ambushed them on the way was the Grand Tutor's henchman. Even if it were just money laundering, it wouldn't cause such a big fuss, alarming even the Taiwei Yuan, right? Could it be... that these aren't the Grand Tutor's goods at all?

Looking again at the scattered corpses around him, the fallen mech behind him, and the severed head he held in his hand, Li Fan understood one thing, even though he still had no clear clues.

Oh no, disaster! We've been dragged into something incredibly serious again. Sanyuan can't stay here any longer...

While Li Fan was lost in thought, a silver leaf, in disbelief, circled the silk threads three times, touched them, and then darted back.

Xuan Tian, "Hahahaha! Pure immortal silk! Hahahaha! It's all pure immortal silk! What the hell are you standing there for! Hurry up and collect it!"

Holy crap! You actually dared to accept something so dangerous? Even Li Fan, who's politically oblivious, knows he's on the verge of suicide! If he dares to put this thing in the Storage Jade of Ink Bamboo Mountain, the Three Great Sects will be attacking and wiping him out the moment it's light tomorrow!

Xuan Tian exclaimed, "Yes, yes, yes! Don't use the Storage Jade from Ink Bamboo Mountain! It'll definitely be able to calculate the value in the Central Plains! Use the God Lord Jade! Use the God Lord Jade!"

Holy crap? God Lord Jade!?

Xuan Tian, "Don't you have one? You can activate it with the blood essence I taught you! I'll teach you the storage technique! Just collect it! The God Lord Jade is connected to the Divine Cult's own secret vault, which is to make it convenient for members to collect spiritual materials in the Central Plains!"

Of course, you haven't received the Blood Register yet, so you can't take it out now, but that's okay! As long as you have these God Lord Jade, you can later change your identity, join the Divine Cult, receive the Blood Register, accumulate some merit, become a local altar master, and have the Divine Cult officially reward you with a God Lord Jade. You can then use it freely by paying a little Blood Coin rent! Don't worry, it's very safe. I've even hidden the Heavenly Book inside the God Lord Jade! Back then, we wiped out the Divine Cult's headquarters so many times, but we still couldn't dig out their secret vault! It's safe!"

Li Fan couldn't help but gasp, momentarily at a loss for words, but damn it, Xuan Tian was so skilled, what was there to be afraid of! The bold get rich, the timid starve! Damn it, I'll take it!

Fortunately, Li Fan had four pieces of God Lord Jade in his hand. He sucked up the silk threads for quite a while, like pumping water, drawing the silvery spring-like immortal silk threads into his palm. It took him a while to collect all the Wanyu silk threads in the entire dark cabin.

And that's it. The system equipment really can't be taken; it can definitely be located. So, they just run away?

Xuan Tian, "Wait! Use your Qingxu Primordial Spirit to control your body and leave! I'll keep watch for you! My true form will leave my body! Go to Taiwei Yuan for a quick look, just to show my face! Return to the body before dawn! Right! Just in case! Return to the north! And go around in circles again! I can tell what's going on with ghosts!"

Hiss... You're still the most cunning one! No wonder you're the Sword Ancestor!

Xuan Tian, "Hehehe! Then... wait, is there a necessary connection?"

Li Fan quickly focused his mind, Gui Xu Nascent Soul emerged from its shell. He could feel two pulling forces. One was connected to his main body, dressed as a member of the Divine Cult, which was rapidly fleeing south. The other was pulling him far towards the northern border, connected to the Qiongqi clone, like a kite string that could be pulled over with a single tug.

The Blood Infant Devil Embryo also flew over after leaving its body. Li Fan said to it, "Go, guard the main body. If any of them chase after us and try to block our way, kill them all! Leave no survivors!"

So the blood infant gave an OK sign, flipped over, and flew back to its original form.

With Xuan Tian and Blood Infant protecting him, even if Li Fan's primordial spirit is not present, those in the Nascent Soul Realm can be killed one by one. Even if a Divine Lord arrives in person, there will be a chance to escape.

So Li Fan had an idea, and his Yin Spirit flew on the wind, instantly heading towards the vicinity of Taiwei Yuan.

"Screech! No unauthorized personnel allowed! Spirits, disperse!"

However, before he could get too close, a huge celestial official suddenly appeared, roared, and created a golden city-like illusion, trapping Li Fan outside the city. The city was bathed in golden light, which even revealed his primordial spirit, making it impossible for him to approach.

This appears to be some kind of defensive formation against the invasion of primordial spirit demons. Not only are divine generals and spirit officials in their primordial spirit form personally manifesting to suppress and guard the area, but there are also a large number of heavenly soldiers and generals in the mortal realm, riding on flying ships and giant warships. The immortal city and fortress are flying in the air, setting up a cordon for defense. Various crossbows and divine machines are ready to fire, clearly indicating that they have entered a state of combat readiness.

Li Fan looked around and saw many cultivators like himself, who were using their primordial spirits to observe. After all, in such a tense moment, the soldiers below were all clearly marked with different banners and armor colors, and they were even lined up in formation to defend themselves. They all had an attitude of "I knew this day would come when I was a soldier in the Three Realms, and I'm ready for a fight at any moment!" If you were to rush in with your true body, those soldiers whose nerves were on edge might just fire crossbow bolts Thunder Talisman at you.

At this moment, Li Fan's Divine Sense stirred, and he discovered a familiar person flying out from the golden city walls.

"It's Xu Xiangu!"

The moment Xu Luoyan second-generation immortal from Pearl Curtain Waterfall in Songshan, appeared, she immediately attracted the attention of a large number of cultivators gathered below the city. After all, beautiful women always attract attention wherever they go.

Xu Luoyan was indeed a person with connections; after exchanging a few words with the guarding spirit officials, she was able to directly enter and exit the palace with her primordial spirit, and even flew down to reassure the crowd.

"Fellow Daoists, please calm down. The Immortal Maiden has just returned from the Taiwei Yuan and there is nothing serious..."

Seeing the numerous figures surrounding him, and the ever-growing number of primordial spirits gathering, yet all keeping their distance, Li Fan was unsure of the situation and dared not reveal himself. Since he was there to make a name for himself, he jumped out and shouted without hesitation.

"Xu Xianniang, stop joking! Such a big commotion doesn't seem like nothing serious! At least give me a straight answer, is there another fight breaking out in the Immortal Palace? Is the Grand Tutor alright? Xianniang, just say the word! I, Guan Nei Hou Qingyue, am willing to lead the charge to rescue the Grand Tutor! I will serve you like a dog!"

Xu Luoyan never expected that Li Fan would jump out and start a commotion, shouting so loudly. Before she could even speak, the surrounding area had already erupted into chaos.

"What! A fight has broken out! And they need to rescue the Grand Tutor?"

"What! The Grand Tutor was killed in a bloodbath?! Who killed the Grand Tutor?!"

Xu Luoyan was also furious, "No! Nothing like that! It was just a fire in the palace..."

"Fire! That's right! I did see a fire just now in the direction of Taiwei Yuan Enclosure!"

"What! The Grand Tutor has been assassinated! The Taiwei Palace has also been burned down!"

"Heavens! The Grand Tutor has been burned to death! Could it be that the Divine Cult has invaded?!"

"The Divine Cult has attacked! Ah! The Divine Cult has attacked and assassinated the Grand Tutor!"

"No! No! Absolutely not! Fellow Daoists, do not panic! Grand Tutor is safe and sound!"

Xu Luoyan was also in a terrible predicament, so she could only come up and glare angrily at Li Fan.

"True Qingyue! Look at the mess you've made! What do you suggest we do now?!"

Li Fan shrugged. How could he be blamed? He only asked one question, and it spread like this; there were clearly friendly forces in the crowd...

"Please forgive me, Fairy Goddess. I, Qingyue, am a southern barbarian and do not understand etiquette, but I am only confused because I am concerned! You should give me a clear answer to reassure everyone! Keeping things hidden will only allow those with ulterior motives to succeed! Please, Fairy Goddess, see the truth!"

Xu Luoyan was utterly speechless. "It's really nothing! It's just that a nearby noble's Immortal Palace went out of control and crashed into the Taiwei Yuan Enclosure. It's been stopped by the Imperial Guards. Some fragments may have happened to fall into the palace, causing some damage and fires to some courtyards."

The Imperial Guards have now cordoned off the area and are investigating the cause of the accident. The Grand Tutor, the Three Dukes, and the Four Generals are all in the palace and safe and sound. My ancestor has also come to help. Everything is alright!

"Oh... the granary caught fire, I get the plot now..." Li Fan analyzed, stroking his chin.

Xu Luoyan was going crazy. "I already said everything's fine! Where did this granary come from?!"

Li Fan quickly said, "It's good that you're alright! It's good that you're alright! Fairy, I believe you! Don't worry, don't worry, I know this kind of situation best, leave it to me!"

Then he immediately rushed into the crowd, shouting amidst the noisy vengeful spirits, "The Grand Tutor is safe and sound! Which bastard is spreading rumors and causing trouble! Anyone who dares to say another word that the Grand Tutor is dead, I, Guan Nei Hou Qingyue, will personally chop you down! Shut the hell up!"

"Who do you think you are, spouting such nonsense!"

"Are you deaf?! I'm the Guan Nei Hou of Guannei! Do you even understand what Guan Nei Hou is?! I'm the highest authority in Guannei! And who the hell do you think you are?! How dare you speak disrespectfully to the Grand Tutor, saying he's dead! I think you're clearly plotting a rebellion! Guards! Drag him away and behead him!"

"What nonsense are you spouting! When did I ever mention the Grand Tutor... Humph! You're such a bumpkin, utterly unreasonable!"

"What! You insulted me, fine! But you actually mocked the Grand Tutor as a bumpkin! You have some nerve! Tell me! Was it your Immortal Clan that conspired to overthrow the Grand Tutor tonight?!"

"What! The Immortal Clan actually wants to overthrow the Grand Tutor!"

"Unbelievable! The Immortal Clan actually burned down the Taiwei Yuan Enclosure, attempted to assassinate the Grand Tutor, and then called him a bumpkin!"

"Nonsense! Don't listen to this country bumpkin's nonsense!"

"Hey! You Three Realms Immortal Clan, don't go too far! You country bumpkins! So what if you're country bumpkins! Who's feeding you, dressing you, and feeding you?! What are you bragging about, a bunch of spoiled brats!"

"Say that again and see what happens! You've gone too far!"

After Li Fan finished his rambling and stirring up trouble, the crowd split into two factions and started arguing. He then slipped out and stood next to the dumbfounded Xu Luoyan, saying, "See, it's resolved."

"Where was the problem solved?"

Li Fan chuckled, "With such a commotion, someone must be stirring up trouble in the shadows. Rather than letting the mastermind get there first, spreading rumors and instigating trouble, it's better to let them vent right here. Anyway, the Yin Gods can't do anything; at most, they'll have a fight, and once they're tired of arguing, they'll break up on their own. As long as tonight is over, the trouble will be over. After all, we have to go to work tomorrow."

"What the Guan Nei Hou said is quite right."

Li Fan turned his head and saw another primordial spirit emerge from the golden light shimmering on the immortal wall behind him. Two rows of spirit officials and divine generals all bowed to him.

This person's illusory form was dressed in the formal court attire of the Immortal Palace, red robes and black trousers, wearing a military cap with two pheasant tails, a square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a beautiful beard. His appearance was resolute and dignified, with sharp angles. His left hand held a purple ribbon and gold seal, and his right hand rested on a Han sword. To be fair, his appearance was not particularly handsome, and in terms of the grandeur of his entrance, he might not even be as impressive as some people who know how to pose.

But this man only glanced at Li Fan once, his eyes bright and piercing, his two pupils black and shiny, like a lit flame, attracting everyone's attention. Those evil spirits and demons hiding in the night fell silent instantly after just one glance from him, bowing in unison, like a field of broken ears of wheat, scattering away in the cold wind.

Only Li Fan remained standing at the boundary between the golden light of the Immortal Palace Royal City and the dark sky of the False Moon. With a calm expression, he exchanged a glance with this man. As their eyes met, it truly felt as if wind and thunder had surged past.

Even without the Grand Tutor's personal presence, just this person's appearance is enough to stabilize public sentiment, and no more clowns would dare to cause trouble...

There's no need to guess then.

"Qingyue of Ink Bamboo Mountain pays respects to the Central Guard."

Sima Shijing, the eldest son of the Grand Tutor, the Central Guard of the Immortal Palace, and the Changping Xianghou, raised his right hand, which was resting on his sword, and shook it.

"I am no longer the Central Guard. I'm making a fool of myself in front of you, Marquis of Guan Nei Hou. Tonight, some petty scoundrels caused trouble in the Three Enclosures, disturbing their peace. It was all due to my inadequate supervision. I have resigned from my position as Central Guard and will personally guard the safety of the Ziwei Yuan to prevent anyone from disturbing His Majesty's presence."

Li Fan glanced at the purple ribbon and gold seal, smiled, and changed his words, saying, "I see. Then I pay my respects to Guardian General."

Guardian General nodded to Li Fan, "Tonight we must rush to the palace to meet the Emperor. If there is an opportunity another day, we can discuss swordsmanship with the Guan Nei Hou."

"No, no, I wouldn't dare."

Li Fan smiled, turned aside to block the view, and watched as Guardian General transformed into a sword rainbow, soaring straight into the sky, tearing through the seven-colored clouds, and falling into the Purple Star Immortal Palace at the top of the sky.

Good heavens, this is a genuine Nine Luminaries Divine Hardness Rainbow at the Transformation Stage! Its golden light is boundless, its aura like a comet shooting towards the sun—it's truly impressive...

"Ju has actually Divine Transformation!"

Kindness?

Li Fan turned his head and saw Xu Luoyan looking shocked, even momentarily losing her composure, muttering to herself, "What's going on! The Central Guard actually has Transformation Stage! When did he break through! Why is he revealing it now...?"

"To become Guardian General, right?" Li Fan leaned in to chat. "I've studied this. It's said that according to the court etiquette of the Immortal Palace, generals with important titles like the Four Garrison Generals and above must have the cultivation level of the Transformation Stage to be conferred the title."

Changping Xianghou was probably worried that tonight's turmoil would disturb the Emperor Ziwei's presence, so he volunteered to personally take command of the Guardian General and protect the safety of the Ziyuan Palace.

Ah! Guardian General is truly loyal to his country and devoted to serving it. His patriotism and fervent patriotism deeply move me! This noble sentiment of loyalty to the emperor and love for the country is a model and example for us all!

"So that's how it is. Could it be that Ziwei Yuan was behind everything tonight...?" Xu Luoyan stopped talking, glancing sideways at Li Fan, who was still standing beside her with a smile, "... What, Guan Nei Hou, you're learning this too, hoping to get an official position?"

Li Fan nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, I heard that raw silk will be auctioned in the Tianshi Yuan. I want to buy a batch for my sect. If I can do this, the General of the South will probably give me a lucrative position."

"Xu Xianniang, I trust your connections the most. Considering how much I've helped you tonight, I wonder if you could arrange for tens of thousands of bolts of raw silk as a way of repaying my favor."

"I'm repaying your favor?"

Xu Luoyan almost couldn't hold back, and took three deep breaths to calm herself down before putting on a smile and saying,

"Hehe, that's unfortunate. Our Songshan sect is responding to the Grand Tutor's call and is actively preparing for the western expedition against the Divine Sect. We are in dire need of raw silk for making talismans and clothing. I sympathize with your sect's difficulties, but I really can't help you..."

"Ah, Fairy, you are mistaken. It is precisely because Mount Song is preparing for the Western Expedition that I came to make this suggestion. Tell me, what use is raw silk against the Blood God Child?"

Xu Luoyan counted on her fingers, "It can make Thunder Talisman, divine banners, blood-avoiding robes, Six Combinations Nine Qi Demon-Suppressing Banner..."

Li Fan, "Alright, alright... but on the battlefield, swords and spears are unpredictable, and you can never have too many life-saving pills! Why don't you exchange some of your superior-grade pills for those of you fellow Daoists from Mount Song..."

Xu Luoyan, "The Changchun Pill from Penglai are so good I could eat them like sugar pills. I'm worried that taking too many will cause erysipelas and damage my skin."

Li Fan, "... Our pills are wonderful! They're a secret recipe from Ink Bamboo Mountain, nourishing yin and beautifying the complexion! They invigorate blood and remove blood stasis! Look! I took the Ink Bamboo Mountain Immortal Pill, and the injuries I sustained from the Blood Talisman Sword have already healed! Fairy, you remember that too, right?"

Xu Luoyan, "... Oh, right? Last time I saw you, you were stabbed like a target, how come you're healed so quickly? Could it be that the elixir from Ink Bamboo Mountain really has miraculous effects? It's remarkably effective on Blood Talisman Sword?"

"Absolutely! Fairy, remember to contact my Senior Brother Yao tomorrow. You can see for yourself the quality of the pills refined by our sect's abbot, and you'll know I'm not lying!"

"... I'll think about it."

Sigh, thankfully cats that can detect lies haven't become common in livestock farming yet, otherwise business people really wouldn't be able to survive...