Returning from the abyss

Chapter 1341 Conspiracy
Dong Zai walked into a side hall of the palace. In the side hall, a man with gray hair and beard sat with his back to the main door, surrounded by papers, and opposite him was a celestial globe.

"Chief Instructor."

Dong Zai bowed.

The post of chief instructor of the Great Wei Dynasty consists of two instructors, one civil and one military. The chief military instructor is the instructor of the imperial guards, while the chief civil instructor is the director of the Imperial Observatory, Luo Fengqing.

"Why are you here, Your Majesty?"

"Chief Instructor, I just want to ask, what is the result of astrological divination now?" Dong Zai asked in a deep voice.

"Your Majesty, in order to disturb the astrological divination, is willing to seal the stars and disturb fate, and sacrifice blood to luck, and yet you ask me what to do?" Luo Fengqing said.

"Teacher, this is what you taught me. Fate is determined by heaven, but it is determined by man." Dong Zai said, "Since you have come here with me, you can't really remain silent. I know that this action has indeed cost a lot of lives, but if the demons come in large numbers and successfully overthrow the Wei Dynasty, more people will die."

"A wise monarch does not measure things by human lives."

"Teacher, you have never seen the wise and virtuous kings of ancient times. Did the emperor pay attention to everyone under their rule? Wouldn't there be no famines or refugees dying? They would still die. The wise and virtuous kings would just reduce the number of deaths - just like what I am doing now."

"When a general goes to war, all soldiers know they may die. However, if they are rewarded for their military achievements and compensated for their deaths, they will be at peace in both life and death, and the soldiers will have no worries. Only when the army is united can it be an ever-victorious army. But your majesty has gathered the stars of heaven, borrowed the will of heaven with human lives, concealed the will of heaven, and concealed the heroes. Once the truth is revealed, the people will lose their hearts. How can you be considered a wise ruler?"

Dong Zai smiled: "Teacher, you are right. Then, can you teach me, in this time when the Wei Dynasty is surrounded by demons, natural disasters occur frequently, and humanity is about to die out, how many years do I have to be a wise ruler? How can I have time to change the world's chronic diseases one by one?"

Luo Fengqing was silent for a moment, then sighed and said, "It is because I am incompetent that I cannot help Your Majesty."

"What are you talking about?" Dong Zai laughed. "You are not in my position as the Director of the Imperial Observatory. This is not your job. If I govern the country by relying on my officials to give me advice and I don't think about it myself, it will be a sign of the country's doom."

"However, Your Majesty has this kind of heart, but does not show himself as a wise leader. In the end..."

"This is a pedantic theory, Master. I have been in office for half a year and I know that I cannot rule the world by common sense. The power of the demons is like a disease that has penetrated into the bones. The human race has gone through many dynasties and subdued the demon stars in all directions, using various methods to trap them in a small space. Among the demon stars, only Saibei and Fengdu have immeasurable power. If I don't eliminate these two troubles, how can there be a chance for peace and development?"

"Your Majesty, what you are doing now will not help you get rid of Saibei and Fengdu, but will put yourself in danger."

"If I don't lead the army in person and put myself in danger, how can I catch the real and powerful demon behind this? Instructor, if you don't want to tell me about the stars, I don't blame you. But Leng Dong is coming south, where will he go? You have to help me keep a close eye on this matter."

"...Fengdu's whereabouts are all under control."

"That's good." Dong Zai waved his sleeves, "We have to wait for the demon to come and clash with my heaven! I don't seek to accomplish my goal in one battle, but the New Year is approaching, and I must make the destruction of Fengdu an object to be eliminated this year and engrave it into the calendar! If humanity is not destroyed in the future, my achievements should also have a place for it."

"Yes……"

Dong Zai nodded and left, while Luo Fengqing had a complicated expression.

"You said...your heaven."

If someone else said this, Luo Fengqing would think that it meant that he was the current controller of the "Heavenly Court" ritual.

However, if Dong Zai said it, it would probably have a different meaning.

=
When Lu Ning and Wen Rong returned to Xingyin City, it was already late. Wen Rong was still very happy. She took out a lot of gold and silver jewelry from Xi Yao's body. She didn't know why, even though they were all tourists, she was still so interested in these yellow and white things.

Perhaps because she was happy, Wen Rong even loosened the seal of the Soul-Reflecting Mirror a little, allowing the seven demon kings - when Lu Ning heard this number, she almost released the power of Tianmanxing on the spot - to come out and chat.

Seeing that the seven demon kings were quite approachable, Lu Ning asked what Xi Yao meant by her last words.

The demon king also gave a direct explanation.

The human race was once a race that cultivated immortals. Among the true immortals of that time, in addition to those who were born naturally, at least a certain number were cultivated by the human race. However, after obtaining the immortal fruit, they also left the identity of the human race. The changes in this process are not worth explaining in detail.

Since the demon race is not suitable for cultivating immortals, the way to advance is to "seek the way". When a new demon is born, it mostly acts on instinct, but gradually its intelligence opens up. One day, it will realize the right way to survive in this world, whether it is to hide or blend in with the crowd. Once it has this thought, it will become a great demon. As the great demons get older, they will improve again by reflecting their instincts in life. They can pass on this method to other demons, and then they can command the demons and become demon generals. Demon generals need to find a way throughout their lives, see through all kinds of false scenes, and get a ray of true enlightenment before they can enter the realm of demon kings. As for demon stars, they need to be blessed by heaven.

Many demon generals, all of them were unable to get a glimpse of the method, and they didn't know how many false scenes they had stepped on. Although he had a high status in the demon clan, he was unable to get rid of it, and that was why Xi Yao still had such an obsession when he was dying.

But even if they said it, Lu Ning and Wen Rong could not understand that kind of obsession. After all, pursuing something illusory until death might not only be a problem for demons, but Lu Ning and Wen Rong were both more pragmatic people.

"Okay, I'll probably still be walking around the city. What about you?" Lu Ning asked Wen Rong after entering the city.

"I... I'm so cold." Wen Rong shivered in the cold wind, "I'll find a place to warm up."

"No... I mean what are you going to do next?" Lu Ning asked.

Then she saw very clear confusion in Wen Rong's eyes.

"Yeah, what should I do next." Wen Rong muttered to himself, "The guy who killed my subordinates will be chased for me. I promised that I would get rid of Xi Yao now. If Duan Long is not solved, it is because I have a backup plan... Do I have to participate in this water and land ceremony?"

"Don't." Lu Ning hurriedly stopped her. "It's a very complicated matter. If you just join in, you might not even know how you died."

"Oh - didn't you participate?" Wen Rong asked in a long voice, "Does that mean the loss you suffered was because of the Water and Land Dharma Assembly?"

"almost."

"This girl has been assigned the position of Heavenly Star. Unless she is dismissed, her spirit will sooner or later be replaced by the corresponding Heavenly Star and turned into a puppet." A demon king in the mirror said, "When it comes to killing people, you humans kill people much more diligently than we do. Anyway, it's all unprovoked disasters. I really don't know where you get the right to accuse us demons of killing and eating people."

"The stance is probably that what we do is our own internal matter, and you outsiders shouldn't interfere," Wen Rong replied.

The demon king was choked by this answer, and after a moment he said, "It seems to make sense."

"Anyway, there's no point in dwelling on any past grudges between the two sides now." Wen Rong looked up and asked Lu Ning, "Is there anything you need my help with?" "What about your mission?" Lu Ning asked again.

"It's not time for me to show off my skills yet." Wen Rong shrugged. She had hidden the edict of the previous king in a keyhole, and no one could get it out except her. Although Wen Rong didn't understand the current situation in Xingyin City, she knew that now was not a good time to take it out and seek death.

She had to find an opportunity that would allow her to make a splash and at the same time escape.

"What are you laughing at?" Lu Ning asked again when she saw Wen Rong smiling unconsciously.

"No, I'm just happy." Wen Rong said quickly, "I have offered to help. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Just consider it as your reward for killing the monster for me."

"Well, do you remember Zhao Yuqiao from the Qihuang Sect when we were at Zhenjian Villa?"

"The guy who doesn't even want to act?" Wen Rong asked.

"Yes, find him out and don't alarm him." Lu Ning sneered.

"Is there a grudge?" Wen Rong took a look at Lu Ning's expression and suddenly realized.

"We've had a grudge for three days."

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"Good man, this overnight grudge is almost rotten." Wen Rong joked, "Are you going to kill him?"

Lu Ning had already had an idea: "No, he is so powerful, why kill him?"

"Then what are you going to do?"

"The thirty-six Heavenly Beings are all in place, as are the seventy-two Earthly Fiends. I have to reserve the position of the Earth Spirit Star for him no matter what."

Lu Ning would not let Zhao Yuqiao go, no matter whether he had a way to extricate himself from this situation or not. As long as she dragged him into this, she would have to think carefully.

Of course, she still had time, and even... she vaguely felt that the situation seemed different from what most people judged.

"Okay, how can I find you if I find someone?"

"Take this formation flag." Lu Ning took out a small flag. "My weapon refining skills are not very good. The ghosts in here can only look for me. I can't be of much use."

"Okay." Wen Rong took the flag, "As long as he hasn't hidden in another dimension, I will find him."

Lu Ning breathed a sigh of relief after saying goodbye to Wen Rong.

By killing Xi Yao, she not only injected some poison into the Tianman Star in her mind, weakening its influence, but also made a big step forward in the Senluo Jiuzhuan Heart Sutra, officially entering the stable sixth level.

At this moment, Lu Ning realized that she could no longer save money. The approach of emergency improvement at the last minute and reversing the situation single-handedly was not suitable for the current situation. She had to adapt as soon as possible.

With a move of her will, she used the upgrade opportunity she had obtained from the previous mission, which had been kept for a long time, on the Senluo Nine Transformations Heart Technique. She felt that the barrier between the sixth and seventh layers, which originally required a lot of time to accumulate and break through, was broken in an instant, and the true energy in her body suddenly became several times stronger. Lu Ning had no doubt that in terms of internal strength alone, she had already reached the realm of a first-class master in the world.

Every time her true energy circulated, she could always add icy true energy around her body. The passive effect of "Giant Knuckles" and the technique achieved a perfect coordination at this moment. The weather that was slightly chilly just now was now completely unnoticed by Lu Ning.

"Very good." She pinched her arm. At this moment, the temperature of her body surface was even like that of a corpse. Her internal energy had reached the last major realm. Before she could fully control this coldness, she might not be able to come into contact with anyone.

Although the stars in her mind were dim, they still vaguely guided her in the right direction. The various star gods were released to help the emperor eliminate various obstacles in the city, and in this process, the rituals covering the entire city would guide each star god.

"What is it this time?" Lu Ning followed the instructions and came to a house.

She felt that this place looked familiar.

"Hmm... I should have opened a similar door in the realm of Bodhisattva Tieye." Lu Ning thought for a moment and knocked on the door. "Is anyone there?"

No one answered.

The sword flashed, and the door bolt was opened by her sword. Then Lu Ning walked into the house.

The house here didn't even have a small courtyard, and the space was even more cramped than the one that enshrined the Iron Leaf Bodhisattva. After Lu Ning walked into the house, she saw the scene inside - someone had died.

He was sitting on a stool, his entire body was frozen stiff, but the condition of his death was very strange, his back was pressed against the wall, but the wound looked like it was caused by a hand reaching out from behind and stabbing into the heart.

"Luo Rong, 46 years old, widower, no one old or young in his family, he lives alone. Because he often goes out to work, he rarely comes home, so no one would notice his death."

"You have been keeping an eye on the city, so why would someone die in a corner where no one knows about it?" Lu Ning turned around and asked Jiang Yao who walked into the room behind him.

"This place is shielded." Jiang Yao said softly, "Remember? In addition to your majesty, there is at least one other force in the city that is preparing a sacrifice. It may not be on the scale of what your majesty is using, but it is hidden enough."

"Concealment... is this the characteristic of this ritual itself?"

"Unless someone witnessed it like this, no one would realize that this person is dead. Among all the recent reports from Xingyin City that Da Nei sorted out, there are only four similar deaths." Jiang Yao said, "We can't find any trace of them. The one you found is the fifth one."

“I was also guided here.”

"Guidance...ah." Jiang Yao sighed, "I don't know what guidance is, but it's definitely not without reason. You must be related to it, and you are connected by some related clues, and finally formed this guidance. Not to mention that the function of this ritual is not mainly here, even if it is the world's number one divination technique, the 'Wanxiang' of the Imperial Astronomical Observatory, it is impossible to know anything out of thin air."

"Can you recognize this ritual?" Lu Ning pointed at the corpse.

"There are many secret rituals. If they are performed by humans, it is difficult to judge because human rituals are constantly developing and innovating." Jiang Yao stepped forward, "We can only judge that the effect of this ritual can completely hide a case before it is accidentally 'discovered'. Not to mention a lone person like this who no one cares about, even if there are many people in the family, or they are noble and high-ranking officials, if they are covered up, no one will notice that they are gone."