The Former King's Fate

It's impossible to completely wipe out the Black Lotus Sect, as the Black Lotus Sect is the Tai Su Six Ancestors and follows the Path of the Beast Mother.

From the day the Thousand-Faced Immortal descended to earth, the Way of Primordial Suity had inevitably and unstoppably spread across this land.

Even the fact that Li Fan himself is still alive and kicking, living in the world, is the best proof of destiny and the inevitable trend.

Of course, Li Fan can now fly through the air with his sword, rush to Changsi City, and wipe out the Black Lotus Sect's demonic forces as easily as mowing grass; no one can stop him.

But simply killing someone is like mowing the lawn; it doesn't solve the fundamental problem, it just postpones it.

Even if Li Fan were to find and kill all the remaining members of the Black Lotus Sect within the Li Country, or protect Fuling closely and pat her on the head at any moment, or give her a bunch of Gurong Divine Pills and amulets for protection, there would still be times when he slipped up.

After all, as long as the 'Seventh Friend' is still causing trouble in the shadows, the other party could easily spawn a new batch of the Black Lotus Sect remnants or come up with other tricks. Fuling's crisis will just keep recurring, and the problem will never be solved. And once it erupts, it could be an apocalyptic crisis like the descent of a demon god, no, the descent of the Tai Su Six Ancestors.

Therefore, to prevent the situation from escalating to its worst state, in order to protect Fuling and seal the Beast Mother, the final solution is still to deal with the 'Seventh Friend'.

So who exactly is this 'Seventh Friend,' and where is he hiding?

Are we to kill all the deities of Hengshan one by one? That would be quite difficult. Li Fan isn't strong enough to easily sweep through the Nine Great Xuan Sects. Besides, who knows where these people are hiding? The abbot has been scheming against this 'Seventh Friend' for so many years, both openly and secretly, yet he still hasn't been able to capture and eliminate him, has he?

However, there's no need to over-glorify the opponent. In the end, he's just a native. So what if he has a Xuanmen background? So what if he's a demon god descended to earth? How many Daoist disciples and demon lords have died at Li Fan's hands? We just need to find them and expose them.

And now, perhaps there really is a chance.

What's most worrying is that this seventh person has been hiding in the mountains and never comes out. But now that he has made a move against Li Country, this matter will definitely leave traces. Perhaps we can follow the clues and bring out the Black Lotus Sect and the people behind them.

However, this involves too many people and too many forces, so Li Fan definitely can't come in person; he has to disguise himself...

"The Left and Right Attendants of the Tingwei? Yes, please wait a moment, sir. I will go and inform the Commandant immediately."

In front of the yamen, the patrolling guards inspected the iron token handed over by the visitor and naturally recognized it as the famous Six Doors Iron Waist Token. They dared not be negligent and immediately accepted the token and edict given by Li Fan with both hands before entering the yamen to report to their superiors.

This was certainly no ordinary captain. The person Li Fan came to see this time was none other than the Sili Xiaowei, the local tyrant of Changsi City, one of the three most powerful figures in the Jingji. After all, if the investigation into the assassination attempt on the emperor were to start from the direction of the Liqiu Palace's royal family and the imperial court, it would cause too much commotion and too many people to talk about. But if the goal was to capture the remnants of the Black Lotus Sect, the Sili Xiaowei, who was in direct control of the common people, would inevitably be involved.

Li Fan wasn't in a hurry and waited at the entrance. Since the waist token was stolen from Jiyue, it was definitely genuine. However, he wasn't there in his true form; otherwise, even the king would have come out to pay his respects to his uncle.

This time, Li Fan used the newly spit-out Vermilion Bird clone. He hadn't cultivated this clone much yet. He originally planned to place it in Lei Marsh Swamp to patrol the mountains and find an opportunity to infiltrate the Nangong Family's territory later. However, the matters of Fuling and the Black Lotus Sect were more important at the moment. So, he hastily disguised himself and flew to Changsi City, pretending to be a thief catcher from the Six Doors.

In his letter of invitation, he claimed that he had been ordered by the Three Palaces to investigate the attack Li Country the capital of Li Country Kingdom was assassinated. However, before the previous case had any leads, the king was killed. This showed that the celestial thieves in Li Country were not to be underestimated and that there were probably many demons hiding there. Therefore, he took the initiative to come and request the assistance of the Sili Xiaowei in handling the case.

Now that Wei Hu is fighting desperately in the north, the Sili Xiaowei Li Country Changsi City has been replaced by a fellow named Wen Zhang. This man is also in a state of chaos because of the two assassination attempts on the King by the audacious madmen of the Black Lotus Sect. He dares not neglect the messengers of the Three Palaces and Six Doors, and soon invites "Tingwei Attendant Li Er" to the court for an audience.

Wen Zhang had inquired about Li Fan's background from the disciples of Ink Bamboo Mountain beforehand, but the evaluations from the Southern Faction and Northern Faction factions within the sect, as well as from the imperial court and the martial arts world outside the mountain, varied slightly.

This man was not a poor scholar promoted through the imperial Imperial Examination by the Censorate, but a scion of a powerful family who had served in the Li Country generations and entered officialdom through his father's influence. However, the one who could succeed Wei Hu and sit in such a crucial position as the Sili Xiaowei was certainly not a simple good-for-nothing second-generation rich kid.

In his youth, he served as a staff member in a military governorship and later as a prefect in a local area. He personally handled both military and political affairs and dealt with many forces in the country during his tenure. Naturally, he also had connections with Ink Bamboo Mountain. Therefore, if you ask about the disciples of the Northern Faction, you will hear praises such as being upright and incorruptible, enforcing the law strictly, hating evil as if it were an enemy, and being good at governing.

However, compared to Wei Hu, who was beloved by the people, Wen Zhang did not have such a good reputation. The Southern Faction said that he was too harsh in enforcing the law and was fond of using severe punishments. He was cruel and ruthless, and often used excessive punishments to maintain his authority. He would use a beating stick to clear the way for his daily inspections, and there were many incidents of people being beaten to death because they could not avoid him. Therefore, the people were very afraid of him.

In conclusion, this guy is a ruthless and cruel official, and can hardly be considered a good person. But these days, it's a case of choosing the best among the worst. At least on the surface, he can uphold the law and maintain order in the Jingji. He doesn't openly condone powerful clans and their evil deeds that prey on the people. So, he's already a decent draw from the pool of cards.

Wen Zhang wasn't stupid; he knew something was wrong the moment he saw the young man walk into the yamen.

Although this man is dressed like a Jianghu man, with his sword removed and his bare hands unarmed, he cannot conceal his cultivation in the Nascent Soul realm. Three feet around his body are as blazing as a furnace fire, and there are bright flames of mysterious fire flowing in the hall between his eyebrows, on his shoulders, and in the middle of his chest. He is obviously a monk who practices mysterious fire. Moreover, others don't know about his appearance and skills, and don't the Li country people still recognize him?

"Could this gentleman be one of General Nangong's men...?"

Li Fan laughed and said, "My lord, you misunderstand. I, Li Er, am just a rogue cultivator. I was born in Sanyuan and have an ordinary face. It just so happens that I have cultivated the Crimson Fiend Cultivation Method, which sometimes causes misunderstandings. I am not Nangong Junfan."

Upon hearing how polite this person was, Wen Zhang knew that this person was probably not from the Nangong. Perhaps many people in the Wang Jing were relatives of the Immortal Emperor, and looked like this? So he nodded and speculated.

"I see. Presumably, the Six Doors specifically entrusted Real Person Li to search for the immortal thief in Li Country so as not to attract attention. You've come all this way to visit me; is there anything I can do to assist you in serving the Master?"

Li Fan didn't correct the other party's misunderstanding, but clasped his hands in a fist salute and said,

"My lord, I am but a warrior who cuts off heads for rewards and does dangerous jobs. How can my investigative skills compare to those of the seasoned criminal investigators in the region? Besides, I am new to the Southern Country and unfamiliar with many things."

However, these thieves who dared to storm the capital and assassinate the king are no ordinary criminals; they are probably beyond the capabilities of local constables. Therefore, I have come forward to volunteer myself, relying on my limited abilities. If you have any leads on these thieves, please provide them. Once these criminals are apprehended, I will certainly recommend you to the Tingwei for your merit."

Yes, that's the main reason Li Fan came to find this Sili Xiaowei.

In fact, with his connections in Ink Bamboo Mountain, it wouldn't be difficult for him to investigate the crime scene, especially since it was a major event like the assassination of the king, which had already been reported to the abbot by various parties.

But Seventh Friend and the Abbot have been fighting for so many years, it's obvious that their past grievances have long been erased, and the authorities can't find anything out.

Moreover, Li Fan reviewed those reports and found that not only were all the murderers who attempted to assassinate the king killed, but most of their relatives and neighbors were also dead. The last time a dye worker attempted to assassinate the king, hundreds of people were implicated, and even after interrogating most of them to death, nothing could be found out. No one knew how the remnants of the Black Lotus Sect, which had been exterminated for many years, had inexplicably infiltrated the royal city.

Seeing how quickly the witnesses were silenced and how chaotic and conflicting the case was, Li Fan knew that from Ink Bamboo Mountain's perspective, the investigation was unlikely to continue.

After all, even a fool in Li Country knows about the mess involving the royal family, Ink Bamboo Mountain, and the Nangong Family. So once the officials find themselves implicated, they will definitely try every means to shift the blame.

Wen Zhang, who was in charge of this task, was not a simpleton like Wei Hu. He certainly wouldn't dare to investigate further, because if he found anything, his life would be in danger. So, he would naturally hide things and pretend to be confused. At worst, he would just arrest a few people and torture them into confessing to take the blame.

Therefore, Li Fan took the initiative to appear, which was done through official channels, giving Wen Zhang an excellent opportunity to shift the blame.

After all, the Immortal Palace sent the Six Doors to investigate the assassination of the vassal king, and the Sili Xiaowei transferred the case-handling authority to provide assistance. Is there a better way to escape than this? No way! I don't care if you're from the Six Doors or the Nangong Family, this case is yours to handle!

Wen Zhang was overjoyed and extremely enthusiastic. He talked with Li Fan by candlelight all night, not only going through the assassination case of the king with Li Fan, but also comparing the witness testimonies and case files collected from all sides. As if afraid that he couldn't get rid of the blame, and as if he had gotten rid of his psychological burden, he really did some reasoning and analysis for Li Fan, and even gave him some private personal advice.

Actually, there are two cases within this case.

The first case was the Hanguang Gate case, in which Zhang Shao, a dyeing workshop worker, and Su Xuanming, a fortune teller from the street, conspired to collude with a hundred thieves to impersonate dyeing workers. While transporting cilantro into the palace, they hid the thieves' weapons in a cart and waited for an opportunity to smuggle them into the Liqiu Palace, where they would ambush the king within the forbidden garden.

However, when the hay cart arrived at Hanguang Gate, it was discovered by the eunuchs guarding the gate. As a result, these thieves rebelled and stormed into the palace, heading straight for Qingsi Hall. At that time, Guo Zhao, the Right Imperial Guard General, and others were serving the emperor and resisted for a while. The emperor was able to take refuge in the Left Army Camp, and the thieves were quelled.

The second incident was the bathhouse incident. At the time, the king was playing polo with the eunuch when Xu Zhongxin, a commoner from the Jingji, broke into the bathhouse and attempted to assassinate the king. The thief was executed on the spot.

Although they are treated as one case, they are actually two separate cases. If Real Person Li is to catch the immortal thief, he can start by investigating the first case. Most of the dyers live in the southwestern wards of the city. By checking the dyeing workshops along the Yong'an Channel, he should be able to make a breakthrough."

Li Fan glanced at Wen Zhang and nodded. "Thank you for your guidance, sir."

This guy is pretty good.

On the surface, they were very cooperative, pulling Li Fan aside and saying a lot, but in reality, they were just stating the official 'conclusions' of the Li Country's court. Compared to the small report from Ink Bamboo Mountain that Li Fan had seen, a large part of the truth and secrets had been concealed.

But this guy is indeed quite capable. Although he deliberately concealed and omitted a lot of information, for an outsider like Li Fan who came to investigate the case from the Six Doors, he already knew enough and could easily pass the buck. He even gave direct instructions, almost teaching Li Fan where to arrest whom to complete the task.

In terms of 'solving problems,' this person is indeed a capable official.

Of course, Li Fan wasn't there to smooth things over; he was there to get to the bottom of things.

So what exactly did Li You do that led someone to repeatedly plot against him and even succeed?

Actually, it was all his own doing. Well, this matter is also somewhat related to Li Fan. Didn't he fight his way from Da'an Fang to Vermilion Bird Gate and finally cleave Taiji Palace in two with his sword?

In Li Fan's opinion, what's the big deal about chopping it up? Just replace a few tiles, repaint it, and it wouldn't cost several thousand taels of gold and silver, would it?

Haha, he's oversimplifying things.

The entire Liqiu Palace needs to be rebuilt.

After all, the Crown Prince is a jinx, having caused the deaths of several princes. The new ruler of Li Country can't just stay cooped up in the Guo Family's residence forever. Besides, a new ruler needs a fresh start. Since half of Changsi City was burned down and the ruler suffered psychological trauma from an accident outside the palace, then the worst that can happen is that the ruler doesn't leave the Imperial City! Let's build palaces and embark on a grand construction project! Yay!

Doesn't Ink Bamboo Mountain care?

Why should we regulate this?

What can the abbot say when the ruler of a nation spends his own money to repair his own house?

In this critical moment of life and death, what can a dignified ruler of a nation do besides wailing and weeping, even if he insists on wearing new clothes, living in a grand mansion, and claiming to be a loyal and righteous man?

So, in the past few years Liqiu Palace has been undergoing a major construction project. The Taiji Palace and Xingqing Hall have been rebuilt one after another, and new palaces and pavilions such as Qingsi, Yong'an, Baoqing, Anguo, Ci'en, Qianfu, Kaiye, and Zhangjing have been built. The Zaochi Canal has also been dug, and garden baths and polo fields have been built. It's almost as if they're about to create a wine pool and meat forest...

Of course, it wasn't just about large-scale construction. After all, he had the guidance of his maternal uncles and relatives. Li You readily accepted their advice and reorganized the Imperial Guards, driving away all the veterans under Grand Tutor Wang and replacing them with people from the Guo Family, who were related to him. Every few days, he would summon the left and right Imperial Guards for exercises, ostensibly for military training, but in reality, he would take the opportunity to hold lavish palace banquets, wrestling matches, and hunting trips. He also spent lavishly on rewards for his confidants.

This practice exhausted the imperial treasury within a few years.

So if you ask how those dyers managed to swagger into the Liqiu Palace, how else could they have gotten in? They walked in through the main gate!

With the main force of the Imperial Guards transferred to the Northern Expedition by Grand Tutor, and so many construction teams frequently entering and leaving the Imperial City, wouldn't someone have to be on guard all of them? They also had to take turns conducting imperial drills, hunting in the suburbs, and playing polo. The Imperial Guards on both sides were overwhelmed. Where could they find so many people to guard so many palace gates?

The laborers forced to rush the construction of the palace also complained bitterly. After all, the construction fees from the imperial treasury were skimmed off at every turn, and how much of it would actually reach them? They received such meager wages and were constantly pressured by eunuchs to finish the work. Sometimes, artificial hills and palaces would collapse and kill people, while just a wall away, the emperor and nobles would be singing, dancing, laughing, and feasting in the newly completed palace.

Do you really think only the dyers wanted him dead? They just happened to have the opportunity.

What's even funnier is that it was actually Li You gave away this opportunity.

The so-called Zicao grass, also known as purple grass, was originally only used for dyeing. It could be prepared outside and there was no need to transport it every day. However, the craftsmanship inside and outside the palace was different. The silk dyed in the dye houses outside the palace was not as beautiful as that in the palace. The concubines of the imperial family competed with each other, so the palaces and pavilions were all brand new, and all their clothes, skirts, silks, and gauze canopies had to be changed to a new set!

But Li You was quite an interesting character. He was terrified by the Blood God last time and became even more averse to the sight of red. All the crimson silk in the palace had to be changed to purple satin. The concubines in the harem followed suit, and for a time, paper was in high Liqiu Palace Luoyang. The guards didn't have time to check and let all the madder dye pass through, which was then transported directly into the palace to make clothes for the female officials.

The funniest part was when Zhang Shao and his group were transporting the goods to Hanguang Gate and almost made it into the palace. However, they ran into the concubines fighting over the goods and sent eunuchs to steal them, which led to their assassination plot being exposed. This is Li You escaped with his life.

However, good luck doesn't come in so many cases.

Li You's first escape involved an element of luck, but he still managed to take refuge in the Left Imperial Guard. However, since the Left Imperial Guard originally belonged to the Wang Family, while the Right Imperial Guard belonged to the Guo Family, and Guo Bao had risked his life for his nephew, Li You greatly rewarded the Guo Family and the Right Army, doubling their rewards. This caused dissatisfaction.

So the second time, Xu Zhongxin, a commoner from the Jingji, marched through the palace gates as if they were nothing, and stabbed the emperor in front of him. At that time, the eunuchs and skilled warriors around Li You fought desperately, and almost all of them were killed or wounded. However, the left army did not arrive. By the time the right army arrived from a great distance, the king had already fallen off his horse in fright, was too terrified to take any medicine, and died on the spot.

This was the royal decree issued by Li You in the fifth year.