The princess (5,000 words)

Lin'an and Emperor Yongxing grew up together and knew his personality very well.

Seeing his eager attitude, and the fact that he chose this time, one could tell that he had something urgent to ask of him.

When he was still the crown prince, if he needed something from his father but it was inconvenient for him to do it himself, he would ask her to go to his father on his behalf.

After all, she, the second princess, was the most favored among the princes and princesses.

"Brother Emperor, please speak frankly."

Lin'an glanced around; there were no chairs in the Imperial Study, and unless the emperor granted a seat, everyone had to stand.

Emperor Yongxing walked up to his younger sister and kept her in suspense:

Do you know how to solve the fundraising strategy?

Lin'an was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected that her brother, the emperor, had summoned her to seek her advice.

Lin'an was immediately overjoyed at being "rewarded," and was glad that he had gone to see Huaiqing in the afternoon. He immediately said:

"We need someone with sufficient prestige to rally the people. My elder brother, the Crown Prince, has just ascended the throne and lacks the prestige to command the court."

Emperor Yongxing was taken aback, not expecting his younger sister's wisdom to have improved so rapidly without him even realizing it.

He then followed up by asking, "So, in Lin'an's opinion, whose reputation is sufficient?"

Lin'an relayed the words of Chou Huaiqing:

"Among those officials in the court who have the prestige to inspire the ministers to willingly donate money, only the Supervisor and Xu Qi'an truly respected."

"The supervisor is a truly prestigious person, while Xu Qi'an is more known for his fearsome reputation; no one dares to provoke him."

Even the most hardened scholar wouldn't be foolish enough to fight to the death with a top-tier warrior who had beheaded a duke and killed an emperor.

When did Lin'an become so discerning?

Emperor Yongxing gave an unexpected compliment, then continued:

"I would like to ask you to act as an intermediary and persuade Xu Qi'an to help. Alas, as you know, I have only recently ascended the throne, and my power is still limited. The court is beset by internal and external troubles, and has also suffered a natural disaster, urgently needing funds for disaster relief."

So that's what happened. Lin'an rarely showed a bitter smile, his round oval face revealing disappointment:

"He's not in the capital, and he's never contacted me."

She felt a pang of sadness when she said those words, as if she were being forced to admit that she didn't hold a place in the hearts of her lackeys.

Emperor Yongxing paid no attention to her disappointment; he had been waiting for this moment, and hurriedly said:

"No, Lin'an, you don't know, he's back, it must be him. In the entire Great Feng, apart from him, no martial artist at the Transcendent Realm will appear in the Bureau of Astronomy."

Lin'an suddenly opened her eyes wide, her breathing quickened noticeably, followed by a surge of immense joy and excitement, and she grabbed Emperor Yongxing's arm:

"Really? He's really back?"

Emperor Yongxing nodded. "At dusk, the Bureau of Astronomy detected fluctuations of energy from a transcendent being; it's most likely him. I've already sent people to inquire."

The supervisor waved his hand, and a teleportation array lit up beneath the Arhat of Devotion. A clear light engulfed him from below, and he vanished from the Eight Trigrams Platform in an instant.

After placing the Arhat of Love underground, the old supervisor's wrinkled face revealed a slight smile:

"Your cultivation is progressing well."

"You're implying something, Supervisor," Xu Qi'an thought to himself, glancing at Luo Yuheng, whose eyes held a hint of affection, seemingly innocent and naive but actually possessing a yandere nature.

He coughed, looked away, and said:

"You asked the Imperial Advisor to tell me that all changes will occur this winter. What does this mean?"

Upon hearing this, the supervisor picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and slowly said:

"Whether the Great Feng Dynasty will change hands, whether this old man can live another five hundred years, and whether you, the lucky one who bears half the fate of the nation, will die for your country—all these depend on this winter."

Xu Qi'an's expression was grave. "You used the methods of 'Heaven's Mandate' to glimpse the secrets of Heaven, and what conclusion did you reach?"

The supervisor retorted irritably, "I use my brain."

Xu Qi'an remained silent for more than ten seconds, then guessed, "You mean, the rebels in Yunzhou will rise up this winter?"

After Luo Yuheng relayed this message, he had similar speculations.

The supervisor nodded, seemingly satisfied with his answer, and slowly said:

"Don't you think the progress of collecting dragon energy is a bit too easy? Although Xu Pingfeng suffered a backlash from the luck and is wary of my scheme to kill him, he doesn't dare to personally attack you. But with his methods, he doesn't necessarily need to take action himself to deal with you."

"I certainly won't let you have it so easy."

Xu Qi'an asked, "What has he been doing all this time?"

He already knew the answer in his heart.

"They are preparing for a rebellion; they are courting allies."

The supervisor gazed westward. "Just like Emperor Wuzong back then, who won over the Buddhist School to help him rebel."

Xu Qi'an's heart sank. "The Buddhist School agreed?"

The supervisor sneered, "Otherwise, why do you think I would fight with the Gara tree? The debate between Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism in Aranda is becoming increasingly fierce and the contradictions are very deep. The Buddha is in a deep sleep, leaving the Bodhisattvas and Arhats in a standoff."

"But this also made them wary, and they were just waiting for the conflict to escalate to the point where it had to erupt, at which point Aranya would start fighting amongst themselves."

"Given this context, shifting the blame is the best option."

When domestic conflicts become uncontrollable, the best solution is external war. Xu Qi'an sighed inwardly, realizing that human nature has commonalities.

Luo Yuheng raised an eyebrow. "The Buddhist School has already suffered losses in this regard. Aren't you afraid that Xu Pingfeng will also go back on his word like you? You should know that the Great Feng Dynasty is the most untrustworthy."

The Witch God Cult gave it a thumbs up.

Xu Qi'an thought to himself, trying to find some humor in his misery.

This time is different!

The supervisor took a sip of wine and slowly said:

"After the Battle of Shanhai Pass, Buddhist School flourished like oil on a raging fire. The northern barbarians and the remnants of the southern demons, on the other hand, never recovered. The Great Feng, due to the loss of its dynastic fortune, gradually weakened.

"This year, the Witch God nearly broke free of his seal and expanded his territory, severely damaging the strength of the demons and barbarians. Wei Yuan led his troops to Jingshan City, and all three sides suffered heavy losses. Now, apart from the remnants of the Kingdom of Ten Thousand Demons who remain hidden and the Gu Clan whose population is small."

All parties are in a vulnerable state.

"This is the opportunity that Buddhist School has been waiting for; this is a situation that did not exist when Emperor Wuzong rebelled."

Luo Yuheng narrowed her beautiful eyes, "Therefore, the Buddhist School doesn't care whether Xu Pingfeng keeps his promise."

She paused, then asked with some confusion, "Does Buddhist School want to unify the nine provinces?"

If the mission is only to spread Christianity in the Central Plains, it will inevitably repeat the mistakes of the reign of Emperor Wuzong.

The supervisor did not answer her.

For no apparent reason, Xu Qi'an thought of the will Wei Yuan left him, and a sentence that Da Qingyi had written on it:

This world is far more cruel than you imagine!

Combined with the Confucian sage's sealing of the Gu God and the Witch God, Wei Yuan was determined to reseal the Witch God, even at the cost of his life.

He suddenly realized that hidden in the fog beyond his sight lay a higher level of secret.

Even a top expert like Luo Yuheng, the leader of the Human Sect, was unaware of this secret!

"And who told him that, Duke Wei?"

A figure flashed through Xu Qi'an's mind, and he knew the answer.

Zhao Shou!

"Confucian School has been passed down for over two thousand years without interruption. As the leading figure of Confucian School today, Zhao Shou knows a great deal of secrets, perhaps even more than the Supervisor. But he is usually too low-key—no, the entire Confucian School is too low-key."

Xu Qi'an took a breath, suppressing his wandering thoughts, and said:

"There's something I've never understood. Did you, Supervisor, already know that Xu Pingfeng and the Qianlong City faction were hiding in Yunzhou?"

If they had known earlier, why didn't they kill Xu Pingfeng sooner and wipe out that lineage from five hundred years ago?

The supervisor seemed to see through his thoughts and said calmly:

"I am not omniscient and omnipotent, nor is Chaopin omniscient and omnipotent."

"As for now, Yunzhou no longer belongs to the Great Feng."

As he spoke, he gazed south and chuckled softly:

"Now that you have reached the highest rank, I will tell you some secrets. Back then, I supported Emperor Wuzong in purging the court of corrupt officials, and started from Emperor Wuzong's fiefdom in the south, declaring my independence."

"Based on that fiefdom, we expanded step by step, gradually encroaching on the surrounding states and eventually reaching the capital."

"Why didn't the teacher kill me beforehand?"

Xu Qi'an's spirits lifted upon hearing this. The secrets from five hundred years ago were a taboo of the Great Feng. The first generation had their secrets hidden from the present, and Emperor Wuzong had also destroyed the historical records and related documents from that time.

Today, it is impossible to find any clues based on any ancient paper books.

If we could understand how Emperor Wuzong successfully rebelled under pressure from the first supervising official, we might be able to deduce Xu Pingfeng's detailed plan.

"For a second-rank Qi Refinement cultivator, the main purpose of supporting an emperor and becoming a minister who follows the emperor is to refine the Qi and fortune of that continent. Occupy a continent and refine the Qi and fortune of that continent."

"In this process, they will become stronger and stronger, which is the origin of the name ' Qi Refinement Cultivator'. Until they conquer the entire Central Plains and establish a dynasty, they will become a First-Rank Heavenly Fate Master."

"Qi Refinement cultivators are virtually invincible within their own territory."

No wonder the Supervisor was practically invincible within the Great Feng territory. Xu Qi'an understood:

"You mean Xu Pingfeng is practically invincible in Yunzhou? By the time you realized he was hiding in Yunzhou, he had already secretly refined the entire region. Yet, you didn't even notice?"

The supervisor said calmly, "I didn't notice when they stole the fortune either."

Xu Pingfeng was able to steal fortune by relying on the Heavenly Gu's ability to "shift stars and change constellations." In other words, Xu Pingfeng also had a high-level Heavenly Gu master or a top-level Law Artifact with the corresponding ability by his side.

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized.

The supervisor continued:

"But Warlock have a fatal flaw: once they lose their territory, their power will decline. And the so-called invincibility is relative. Even within the Great Feng territory, I cannot defeat or kill multiple first-rank sorcerers at the same time, not even the first generation."

"Therefore, with the help of the Bodhisattvas of Buddhist School, who restrained the first generation, we were able to fight our way to the capital."

Xu Qi'an suddenly realized that the current situation in Great Feng was almost exactly the same as it was back then.

"Therefore, Xu Pingfeng wants to replicate the methods used by Emperor Wuzong and you."

And it has already succeeded; Buddhist School has once again played the role of a tool.

"Warlock is truly a Curse class," Xu Qi'an thought to himself.

When the father and son confronted each other, he already knew from the "unfilial son" that the reason the Warlock took on apprentices was to prevent the system from dying out.

The pursuit of higher levels of scenery is inherent in all living beings, which inevitably leads to disciples betraying their masters, generation after generation, in a recurring cycle.

Although warriors are crude and vulgar, upon closer examination, they are actually the most carefree and happy.

Leaving aside Daoist School and Warlock, to enter the Buddhist School system, one must first observe three years of precepts, with too many rules and regulations.

The Gu Clan's power originates from the Gu God, and they are not part of a traditional system.

As it stands, the wizard doesn't seem to have any major flaws.

"If Xu Pingfeng is in Yunzhou, then he is invincible?"

Xu Qi'an brought the topic back.

The supervisor laughed and said, "We only need to send two or more second-rank officials to fight him, restrain him, and then send troops to attack and recapture Yunzhou. That will break his 'invincible realm'."

Therefore, they want to form an alliance with Buddhist School. Xu Qi'an nodded. The supervisor's words were actually telling him how to defeat the Warlock.

After finishing their business, Xu Qi'an said:

"I think the task of unsealing the divine seal is too difficult; it's impossible to complete it in just two or three months."

He was subtly inquiring about a way to quickly unlock the remaining Demon-Sealing Nails.

The supervisor replied irrelevantly, "Gathering dragon energy is your core task right now; you don't need to worry about anything else."

Xu Qi'an nodded and said in a low voice:

"There's one more thing: the ancient corpse in the underground palace outside Yongzhou City has recently been destroyed."

The supervisor grunted in response and gazed into the distance without speaking.

Xu Qi'an was already used to interacting with Warlock, so he didn't press further; mentioning it was enough.

"I heard Caiwei is going to take on apprentices?"

He asked, trying to make conversation.

The supervisor did not answer.

"Has Senior Brother Sun returned? He disappeared after the battle outside Yongzhou City."

The supervisor said irritably:

"If there's nothing else, you can leave."

They always bring up unpleasant topics.

"Supervisor, how long will it take for me to reach the level of the Zhenguo Sword if I use dragon energy to nurture the Taiping Blade?" Xu Qi'an still had questions to ask and refused to leave.

"It's impossible in the short term, but it's enough to allow it to undergo a preliminary transformation, becoming a semi-finished Law Treasure," the supervisor replied.

Xu Qi'an asked a few more questions, all of which received detailed answers from the supervisor.

Luo Yuheng glanced at the sky and smiled sweetly:

"Xu Lang, come with me back to Lingbao Temple for dual cultivation."

Xu Qi'an responded with an "Oh".

At this moment, Chu Caiwei popped out from the top of the steps, skipping and jumping in her yellow dress. The big-eyed cutie was as lively and adorable as ever.

"You're back!"

She looked at Xu Qi'an with a smile and said something, then continued:

"Lin'an and Huaiqing have come to the Bureau of Astronomy; they want to see you."

Luo Yuheng narrowed her beautiful eyes.

Xu Qi'an glanced at the Imperial Preceptor, completely bewildered.

"Laugh!"

The supervisor chuckled lightly, "You dared to refuse? You deserve to die."

Ground floor.

Li Lingsu said incredulously:

"I never imagined that Brother Yang would have such a tragic past. Xu Qi'an has repeatedly robbed you of your fortuitous opportunity; he is truly a scoundrel."

"The supervisor, in order to promote him, discarded his own personally trained disciple like trash; how despicable!"

"It's better to leave the Bureau of Astronomy here," Yang Qianhuan sighed.

"Brother Li's experience is equally heartbreaking. I'll never be able to hold my head up in front of him again."

"Stop, stop talking."

Li Lingsu scraped her feet forcefully against the ground.

After a moment of silence, a feeling of mutual appreciation welled up between them.

Yang Qianhuan snorted, "He'll get his comeuppance."

Li Lingsu nodded vigorously. "Look up and see, who can escape the wrath of Heaven?"

After a few seconds, he said indignantly, "It's one thing that he has a confidante like the Princess Consort of Zhenbei, but he even wants to cultivate with the Imperial Advisor."

A big question mark floated through Yang Qianhuan's mind.

"Luo Yuheng and Xu Qi'an are practicing dual cultivation?"

"Isn't it infuriating?" Li Lingsu nodded. "The Princess is truly beautiful. I've never seen a woman whose beauty rivals hers in my entire life. The Imperial Preceptor is also an exceptionally beautiful woman, a rare gem in the world."

Yang Qianhuan was completely bewildered. He had no idea that Xu Qi'an possessed the secret of the Great Feng Kingdom's destiny, but this did not arouse Yang Qianhuan's jealousy.

Whether it's the Imperial Advisor or the Princess Consort, in Senior Brother Yang's opinion, they're not as enviable as a few ordinary people in the capital shouting "Xu Yinluo is a hero."

"By the way, I've heard that Xu Qi'an has quite a few female confidantes in the capital. Does Brother Yang know the details?"

Li Lingsu asked curiously, believing that extraordinary women like the Imperial Preceptor and the Princess Consort were rare indeed.

But it's impossible for Xu Qi'an to have every woman he considers so stunning.

Among the women Li Lingsu had romantic relationships with, each one was a stunning beauty.

If we exclude Luo Yuheng and the Princess Consort, her confidante is no worse than Xu Qi'an.

Yang Qian thought for a moment and said:

"I'm not too sure about that; I never concern myself with such trivial matters. But Xu Qi'an is indeed quite popular with women."

Li Lingsu pressed further, "What were the women's looks like?"

Yang Qianhuan scoffed, "Just some ordinary girls. I've never even given them a second glance."

Because he was always facing away from it.

Li Lingsu understood what was going on with that disdainful look.

At this moment, Li Miaozhen and the others returned, bringing out a woman with disheveled hair and wearing a linen robe.

Li Lingsu guessed that this unkempt woman was the "Zhong Li" her junior sister had mentioned.

Such a disheveled woman naturally wouldn't catch the Holy Son's eye. He calmly withdrew his gaze and observed the expressions of the Heaven and Earth Society members.

Seeing that they didn't mock or ridicule him, the Holy Son secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Li Miaozhen introduced:

"She is Zhong Li, the fifth disciple of the Supervisor, a fifth-rank Warlock."

Considering that being plagued by misfortune was a personal matter, she didn't tell her scumbag senior brother.

Li Lingsu hummed in agreement and followed the group out of the underground.

As they climbed the steps, Li Miaozhen reminded them, "You two had better stay close to the wall."

"Why?"

"The road is slippery!"

Li Lingsu glanced at her as if she were an idiot, but didn't take it to heart.

Would a dignified fourth-rank Nascent Soul be afraid of slippery roads?

After taking only a few steps, the Holy Son suddenly felt his foot slip and tumbled down the stone steps.

He grimaced in pain and mumbled:

"It really is quite slippery."

This time, he paid close attention to his footing, glancing down at the road every now and then.

After climbing thirty steps without incident, the eerie slippery terrain reappeared, and the Holy Son tumbled all the way to the bottom, falling so hard that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him.

"I told you to walk close to the wall!" Li Miaozhen laughed.

Hengyuan opened his mouth, then turned to look at Li Miaozhen behind him. She was usually very serious.

But after reuniting with his senior brother Li Lingsu, his heart turned black.

Li Lingsu looked up at Miao Youfang, who was also not walking along the wall:

Do you feel your feet are slippery?

Miao Youfang did a somersault on the stairs. "It's not slippery."

"This guy's got quite the drama," Chu Yuanzhen glanced at Miao Youfang.

Li Lingsu thought for a moment and said, "I'm not leaving. You guys go up first."

He looked around warily, suspecting that Li Miaozhen was plotting against him, but he had no proof.

"My senior brother is a womanizer, always chasing after women. We need to teach him a lesson about the dangers of the martial world now and then."

True Disciple gave her reasons through telepathy.

Hengyuan thought about it and agreed with her statement.

Chu Yuanzhen sensed something was amiss and transmitted his voice:

Don't you think Xu Qi'an is also a womanizer?

Li Miaozhen asked in surprise, "Really?"

Chu Yuanzhen: "."

Li Lingsu finally breathed a sigh of relief after watching the four people leave.

"Zhong Li is a fifth-rank Warlock, called a prophet. Warlock at this level are prone to misfortune, which can affect those around them."

Suddenly, a deep voice sounded from behind.

Li Lingsu turned around and saw a figure from behind.

"I see!"

Li Lingsu felt a sense of familiarity with the act of showing the back of one's head, and then it dawned on her.

He immediately retorted, somewhat Qi Ingestion, "Then why was I the only one who fell?"

He suddenly stopped talking, his face showing an expression as if he had just eaten a dead rat.

This time, Li Lingsu returned to the ground without any danger. The moment she pushed open the door to the ground, Yang Qianhuan teleported simultaneously and appeared behind her, still with her back to him.

Where did they go?

Li Lingsu noticed Miao Youfang waiting at the entrance and asked him what was going on.

Miao Youfang then said:

"From what I just heard the Warlock and Daoist priest Li talking in the main hall, it seems that the two princesses have arrived."

He shrugged and said with a wry smile, "I'm just a commoner; I wouldn't dare meet such important figures."

P. S.: I'll correct any typos first and then continue writing the next chapter. I'll check back tomorrow.