The three sat facing each other chatting, and time quietly slipped by.
When the moon rose above the willow tree, they cut out a paper moon and made a lantern, which they then hung on the treetop, allowing the three of them to continue their conversation.
After chatting for a few days, seeing that it was almost time, Fang Zelin also prepared to set off for Youjing City.
"I still need to go to Youjing City, so I can only meet with you another day."
Fang Zelin stood up, cupped his hands, and addressed Daoist Lü.
Upon hearing this, Daoist Lü waved his hand dismissively, "Please go ahead, fellow Daoist. I've been lingering here for days; even this beggar should go out and check things out, lest some foolish demon is secretly plotting against the Human Race Karmic Fortune."
The closer we get to the end, the more likely it is that some demons will take desperate measures.
After all, for these fairies, such abundant fortune is indeed a once-in-a-millennium occurrence.
If you miss this opportunity, you may never find it again.
Taking a gamble is still quite common.
Hearing what Daoist Lü said, Fang Zelin couldn't help but nod slightly.
As things get closer to the end, you really need to be extra careful.
"In that case, I shall take my leave now. If you ever crave food again, please feel free to come to my place."
At this point, Fang Zelin took out a wine gourd that he had just prepared and handed it to the other party.
That gourd contained fine wine, not Demon-Slaying Calabash.
"Hey, thank you very much, fellow Daoist!"
Upon seeing the wine gourd in front of him, a look of joy flashed across Daoist Lü's face. He accepted it with a smile, then cupped his hands in farewell to Fang Zelin.
The boy standing nearby also bowed and said goodbye with a hint of reluctance.
His gaze swept over the dojo in front of him, his eyes filled with reluctance.
Daoist Lü noticed the look in his disciple's eyes and couldn't help but laugh and scold.
"What, do you wish to switch sects and cultivate under Fellow Daoist Fang? If you'd like, just say so now."
Upon hearing this, the boy's face lit up with joy. "Master, is it true?"
"You little rascal, you really dare to dream like that!"
Upon hearing this, Daoist Lü immediately felt as if he had taken in a rebellious disciple. After giving the other person several unfriendly glares, he was already determined to give him a good beating later.
This way, the brat won't get too used to the comforts here and forget the days of hardship he endured before.
Seeing his master's unfriendly gaze, the boy immediately knew he was in trouble.
That's it. With Master's attitude, he's probably in for a lot of trouble later.
She was indeed very attached to this place.
After saying goodbye, Daoist Lü turned and left with his disciple.
Seeing that Daoist Lü had left, Fang Zelin instructed the medicine boy to take good care of the medicine field, and then turned around and rode up on a cloud.
We don't know the situation in Youjing City yet, and going there by road would be too slow. It would be best to take to the clouds.
Yunzi followed beside Fang Zelin, glancing down every now and then to make sure they didn't encounter any demons along the way.
Even now, while flying on clouds, one can still feel the rising Yao Qi all around.
Such a dense Yao Qi was enough to convey the current predicament of the Great Qian Dynasty.
"Despite its reputation as Demon-Slaying Calabash, there are still quite a few demons who are unwilling to retreat."
Looking at the scene around her, Yunzi couldn't help but shake her head and sigh.
The Demon-Slaying Calabash has been renowned for a long time, and many demons are so frightened that they hide in the shadows, not daring to do anything.
Others, however, were secretly waiting for an opportunity.
As a result, the area around Great Qian was still filled with Yao Qi.
"After all, the current fortune of this place in the Great Qian Dynasty is equivalent to a ten-thousand-year-old spirit medicine for these demons. They won't easily give up such a powerful temptation."
Fang Zelin saw this very clearly, and upon hearing this, he said softly.
Yunzi nodded upon hearing this, agreeing that he was right.
The two rode the clouds and flew forward, passing countless cities and fields beneath their feet.
The fields that were once filled with crops are now extremely sparse, and much of them have even been abandoned.
Many places have begun to fall into disrepair.
In addition, in some cities, one can see that the flags of other dynasties have already been raised on the city walls.
It seems that other dynasties have already begun to carve up the once-powerful Great Qian Kingdom.
Youjing City.
At this moment, the imperial city was already under siege, with smoke signals and beacon fires rising everywhere.
The soldiers guarding the capital watched the large army outside with bated breath, gripping their weapons tightly.
A general in full armor was standing nearby, boosting morale.
Inside the palace, the once majestic palace walls now felt less imposing and more hurried due to the hurried movements of palace maids and guards.
"Your Majesty, the army leading the attack on Youjing City is that of the Prince Pingshan, and his army numbers a full 700,000."
In the imperial court, the ministers all bowed their heads and looked submissive.
When their eyes occasionally met those of the ministers beside them, they would indifferently look away, as if they were strangers, making it impossible to see through each other's gazes.
In the past, the different factions in the imperial court were very clear.
However, nowadays, the distinctions between these parties have become completely blurred.
It seems to belong to a political party, but it doesn't quite.
There are also rumors that many ministers in the imperial court secretly funded numerous feudal lords, hoping that they would still hold high positions when the Great Qian Dynasty fell.
The man sitting on the dragon throne remained indifferent to everything that was happening in the court.
He knew quite a lot about his ministers.
For example, he knew that the Marquis Boxiang in the imperial court, who was also his maternal uncle, had been secretly colluding with the enemy army for half a year.
For example, three months ago, when the Minister of Revenue was secretly transporting a batch of grain and provisions, it was mistakenly seized by the enemy.
Furthermore, Prince Linyun and Vice Minister Wu, who were originally at odds, had actually been secretly colluding for some time.
The recent series of uprisings and the sudden outbreak of war have made the situation in the imperial court even more unpredictable.
The previous factional struggles also began to change; what used to be a life-or-death struggle has now become unclear and ambiguous.
However, among these changes, the only one that is very clear is that the emperor's power began to be gradually reduced.
From the very beginning, various localities not only outwardly complied with the imperial court's orders but also outwardly defied it; some even openly rebelled against the court.
Then the ministers in the court also gradually began to defy the current emperor.
All of this has made Mu Huan feel increasingly powerless.
The Great Qian Dynasty is now doomed and beyond saving.
" Prince Pingshan "
Upon hearing the name, Mu Huan's eyes flickered for a moment before he let out a long sigh.
He knew this person because the most elite army of the Great Qian Dynasty, and its most loyal general Wang Tian, had died at his hands.
Wang Tian also came from a family of generals for generations.
In terms of loyalty to the imperial court, he would also rank among the top three.
Wang Tian, who was originally stationed to guard the frontier, went to the capital three times to defend the emperor and even sent troops to quell the rebellion.
Wang Tian himself was quite capable of leading troops. He not only won several major battles against the enemy, but also defeated almost every rebel warlord.
Such a valiant general was also utterly loyal to the imperial court.
Mu Huan naturally trusted him completely.
While he was relieved, the other ministers in the court were not.
Because of the betrayal of these ministers, coupled with the strength of the enemy army.
In the end, Wang Tian was defeated at Falling Cloud Slope, and all the elite troops he led were wiped out.
In the final moments of the battle, Prince Pingshan attempted to persuade Wang Tian to surrender.
After all, he had fought Wang Tian many times, and had suffered losses at her hands countless times.
If he could recruit such a fierce general, it would be extremely beneficial for his future conquest of the world.
Unfortunately, the Prince Pingshan underestimated Wang Tian's loyalty and righteousness.
Seeing that his elite troops had been wiped out, Wang Tian drew his sword and committed suicide before Falling Cloud Slope.
After this battle, the last elite force of the Great Qian Dynasty was completely wiped out, leaving it utterly incapable of fighting.
When the news reached the capital, Mu Huan held Wang Tian's portrait and wept bitterly.
They were weeping for the impending collapse of the Great Qian Dynasty, and also for the death of a general who had been so loyal to them.
"Your Majesty, the city is currently defended by only fifty thousand soldiers, which I fear will be insufficient to hold it. I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict ordering all citizens to don armor and fight!"
In the silent court, an elderly man in a traditional Chinese robe suddenly stepped out of the ranks, his voice carrying a hint of urgency.
Upon hearing this, the surrounding ministers were immediately taken aback, and then hurriedly spoke up.
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable! Forcibly conscripting soldiers like this will likely provoke resistance from the people, and the backlash could be disastrous!"
"Yes, Your Majesty, our Great Qian Dynasty has never done such a thing. Our ancestors also decreed that even in times of war, the people must not be harassed, and the people must be put first!"
The ministers spoke in a panic, their words practically pointing directly at the emperor.
If you dare to do that, then you are an unfilial descendant and deserve to be usurped.
"Insolence! If the Great Qian Dynasty is about to perish, what use are those ancestral precepts!"
The old man who had spoken earlier was now glaring angrily at the ministers, his beard bristling.
Mu Huan glanced at the old man below, his expression slightly fluctuating.
The elderly man who spoke was an imperial censor.
Although he usually likes to cause trouble for him and stir up trouble in various ways.
But when faced with the threat of national annihilation, their loyalty becomes apparent.
The other party was a loyal minister who could be ranked alongside Wang Tian. When Wang Tian died, the other party even went to the front of the residences of some ministers and cursed them for several days.
Clearly, the other side also knew that Wang Tian's death was inextricably linked to these ministers.
"If I cannot protect the Great Qian Dynasty, then it is my fault, and there is no need to drag the people to defend the capital."
After a moment of silence, Mu Huan finally spoke.
His words still indicated that he was rejecting the old man's suggestion.
The Great Qian Dynasty was doomed, and it couldn't be changed by simply urging the people to hold on.
He knew about this as early as the day Wang Tian died in battle.
"Emperor."
Upon hearing this, the elderly censor looked tremblingly at the emperor.
"It is said that beyond the East Sea, an immortal was born, vanquishing countless demons, and leaving behind a sea of fire upon his departure."
" The Great Qian Imperial Family has a past relationship with the immortals. If His Majesty can utilize this connection, perhaps he can persuade the immortals to turn the tide!"
The elderly censor said in a deep voice.
Since holding out with the people isn't working, then we need to find a sage.
There is a long-standing story between the Great Qian Imperial Family and immortals, which has been passed down through generations.
However, as time went by, many people felt that this was just boasting.
Very few people believe this rumor anymore.
However, due to the recent frequent occurrence of demons and monsters, and the emergence of numerous traces of immortals exorcising demons in various places, the situation has changed.
At this time, more and more people realized that there really were immortals in the world.
If immortals truly exist, then the rumors about the Great Qian Dynasty are very likely true.
Under these circumstances, it was perfectly reasonable for the old man to make this suggestion.
As soon as he finished speaking, many ministers with ulterior motives felt a chill run down their spines.
Many of them were officials in the imperial court for generations.
They were aware of this rumor.
Moreover, they knew more than outsiders about the many strange things that happened to the Great Qian Ancestor back then.
Therefore, everyone knows that the royal family of the Great Qian Dynasty is very likely related to immortals.
But so many years have passed, and the immortal has not reappeared to reminisce with the Great Qian Imperial Family family.
Whether this immortal is in seclusion cultivating, has ascended to heaven, or something else entirely, remains to be seen.
No one can provide an answer.
But the only thing we can be sure of is that if the other party could truly exploit this relationship, then the Great Qian Dynasty might not have perished.
Upon hearing this, Mu Huan's lips twitched.
He naturally knew about the affairs overseas.
He had read countless rumors about immortals and the like.
They also dispatched countless Shadow Guard to try and find those immortals to extend the life of the Great Qian once again.
However, the people they sent out couldn't find those immortals at all.
But he couldn't leave the capital.
Given the current situation, if he were to leave the capital, he would essentially be facing certain death.
He heard from his father that his ancestors truly had a past connection with immortals and were close friends with them.
This information has been passed down from generation to generation, so it must be accurate.
However, after so many generations, no immortal has ever been seen.
As for how to find this immortal, they didn't leave a single clue.
How could he possibly find it?
So this relationship, while it may seem to exist, is practically nonexistent.
After letting out a silent sigh, Mu Huan didn't say anything more.
He glanced at the ministers below, and those who met his gaze quickly lowered their heads.
It's impossible to tell what these ministers are thinking.
Mu Huan shook his head and got up to leave.
"I am a little tired. If there are important matters, we can discuss them another day."
After saying this, he turned and left the court.
The ministers left behind a resounding farewell.
Mu Huan quickly left the main hall, wondering what to do next.
Could it be that they really want to watch the Great Qian Dynasty perish in their own hands?
He didn't want to consult with those ministers because there weren't many of them he could use anymore.