After a flurry of work, Yuwen Huaji sat in his chair and pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaustion written across his face.
Footsteps sounded.
He immediately roused himself and resumed his imposing manner.
When he saw who had come, his eyes lit up. "Daoist, you're here. The situation has grown rather complicated..."
"This humble Daoist already knows." The Daoist wore loose Daoist Robe, carried a long staff, and wore straw sandals, his hair hanging loose. A faint smile rested on his gaunt face. "Order the troops north to Liaocheng, Chancellor. There you can claim the standing of a rightful cause. Return to Guanzhong afterward, and your passage will surely be unhindered."
Yuwen Huaji frowned as he listened. "Word of the late emperor's death has spread. The rebel ministers and generals along the way may well harbor thoughts of treason. If we travel north by land through their territory, we risk running into trouble!"
He lowered his voice and looked at the Daoist. "Daoist Lu Li, you're a master of the Dao. You concealed heaven's workings before and muddled the omen of the Emperor Star. Can you pull the wool over heaven's eyes again?"
The gaunt Daoist Lu Li gave Yuwen Huaji a long look, then smiled. "Chancellor, my method of casting names into disorder defied heaven's workings. I sacrificed ten years of Dao Attainment to pull the wool over heaven's eyes! Even then, it bought us only a few days, all to give you time. Such a thing cannot be done twice. Setting aside the backlash of karmic debt, many watchful people have already noticed the confusion surrounding the omen of the Sui Dragon's fall. If I tried it again, they would discover it at once!"
Yuwen Huaji's face darkened, anger flaring in his eyes. He was on the