Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1258 Planning
'The King of Wei...is going to send troops to Luoyang!'

Li Zhouwei's words were resolute, leaving Li Quewan stunned, let alone Li Jiangchun. He felt a surge of surprise and joy rush to his mind, and in an instant, he understood:
"So that's how it is! The King of Wei intends to take advantage of the fact that no one in the world could have predicted his swift resolution of the Wutu disaster, thereby launching a surprise attack and conquering Luoyang!"

As Li Zhouwei said, Western Shu is now severely weakened, and there is still no news of Zhixuan Pavilion. The major forces in the north cannot join forces with each other. As the weakest force, the Luoxia families have lost the protection of Zhixuan Pavilion and are a real piece of meat!
He raised his eyebrows, his gaze intense, and looked at Li Zhouwei, then lowered his eyes and said:

"Your Majesty's wisdom is truly astounding... I also have important matters to report, but now, Wei Xuanyin—has already gone into seclusion!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei abruptly stood up, astonishment flashing in his eyes, and whispered:

"Is this true?"

"Absolutely true!"

Li Zhouwei could see that Wei Xuanyin had been avoiding his attacks and trying not to fight him. Back then, on the salt lake, he sensed that Wei Xuanyin possessed completely different supernatural abilities... Even Qi Lanyan had given everything to stop him and ultimately lost his life. Li Zhouwei could also see his true purpose.

Wei Xuan only uttered four words:
Both sides suffer losses.

Regardless of the purpose, Li Zhouwei could vaguely sense the other party's apprehension. Even if he was certain that Wei Xuanyin would not make a move in today's scheme, no matter how much he estimated, it was not as direct as Wei Xuanyin's seclusion!
'As long as this person remains unmoved, and the Gao and Shanle families are appeased on the other side, with the Song Dynasty's full strength, the chances of conquering Luoyang can increase by 30%!'

You must understand that the Song Dynasty is no longer what it used to be. Li Zhouwei is capable of standing alone, and neither of the two newly surrendered fellows from Jianghuai are easy to deal with! Not to mention that Golden Sword Immortal!
'With this sword immortal here, if Shi Xiu really goes all out to block, they'll all have to prepare to die!'

His eyes held an uncertain look, while Li Jiangchun lowered his head and replied:
"He has been secretly cultivating in seclusion, attempting to refine his final divine power! This was originally an internal matter of the Great Zhao, but they are at odds with each other, and the Buddhist monks have tested this person multiple times, which has come to the attention of the Yang family!"

He said solemnly:
"This is something that Fourth Sister-in-law secretly mentioned to Father during the palace banquet. She was extremely worried, fearing that this person, having emerged from seclusion after many years and mastered the Five Arts, would harm Father... But now it seems... that this is precisely our opportunity!"

Li Zhouwei stood with his hands behind his back, his expression rather peculiar, and said with lowered eyebrows:

'Yang Tianyou…'

'Intentional? Unintentional?'

These Purple Mansions couldn't accurately calculate Li Zhouwei's healing time, but these Great Dao Lineages would never underestimate it. When Li Quewan went to the Zhang family and mentioned Li Zhouwei's serious injuries, Tian Huo didn't believe it at all!

'Their predictions, however late, can't be too far off; that much is hard to hide from them. It's just that my current cultivation level, and the immortal foundation nourished by the talismanic energy during injuries and battles, are things they couldn't foresee. It seems only a series of major upheavals have prevented me from surviving the Purple Realm…'

'However, Yang Tianyou's words were not unfounded. Either the Song emperor or the Yang family must have already harbored ambitions to attack the north!'

This is ultimately a good thing, Li Zhouwei nodded secretly, and asked:

"Is there any news about Yang Ruiyi?"

This great general of the Song Dynasty has been retired for many years and has been out of contact ever since. Li Jiangchun shook his head and said softly:

"After the great battle on the Yangtze and Huai Rivers, King Wei returned in triumph. Less than half a year later, he laid down his arms and returned home, and there has been no news of him since. According to Fourth Sister-in-law, the General has been in seclusion, seeking the fourth supernatural power!"

"If successful, he will become a Grand Master of the 'Upper Witch' realm!"

Li Zhouwei was not surprised, and simply said:

"If His Majesty is willing to do his best, the day he returns to public life is not far off."

"But what about the Yang family..."

In the court and among the people, the Grand General and the Song Emperor maintained a distant relationship, always promoting the same people but not using them. Yang Ruiyi was also seen as a representative of the Yang family. Li Jiangchun couldn't help but ask about this, but the Prince of Wei laughed and shook his head, saying:
"No... The Grand General is actually the Song Emperor's most loyal supporter!"

He glanced at Li Quewan beside him, and seemingly casually began to point, saying softly:
"The Song Emperor, the Yang family, and the Underworld appear to be one entity, but in reality, they are distinctly separate entities. As long as the bottom line is not crossed, the Yang family is the Song Emperor's greatest supporter. The Yang family here includes Yang Ruiyi and Yang Ruizhao, as well as the Yang family members in the lower and middle levels of the Underworld behind him."

"They were eager for the Song Emperor to attain enlightenment so that the Yang family could rise to the status of the Wang and Xie families."

From his earliest meeting with Yang Tianya to his later actions during the Battle of Xianhu and Liu Bai's suicide, Li Zhouwei had gradually come to understand the situation. He said calmly:

"But this does not include one person—that Judge Yang."

"He is the true representative of the underworld's interests, the greater mastermind. Judge Yang can live without the Yang family, but the Yang family cannot live without him. The Song Dynasty is the Yang family's foundation, but it is merely his tool. This is the difference, and this is why Yang Ruiyi is struggling to navigate this situation! Behind the Yang family are only some lower and middle-level figures in the underworld who have to carry out his orders, hope to preserve the Song Dynasty's vitality by all means, and are unwilling to harm Yang Zhuo..."

He said quietly:
“As long as the Song emperor is determined to launch a northern expedition, it is unlikely that the Yang family will hold back.”

"This junior has learned a great deal!"

Li Jiangchun nodded thoughtfully, and Li Quewan, who had been waiting for a while, finally spoke with some worry:
"I've heard... that the Second Prince has some entanglement with you..."

In recent years, Li Zhouwei has either devoted himself to cultivation or gone on expeditions, so he has not paid much attention to the matter. However, Li Quewan has been keeping an eye on things from time to time, and the news has even reached the ears of the old man, Li Xuanxuan. The old man was reluctant to speak ill of his own sword immortal, so he wrote a letter questioning Li Zhouluo, which frightened the Marquis of Anyang quite a bit.

Li Jiangchun shook his head with a wry smile and replied:

"That's not true!"

Li Zhouwei raised his head and said with interest:

"What do you think of Emperor Song's three sons?"

Li Jiangchun's expression turned serious:
"The Crown Prince is diligent in state affairs, good at winning people's hearts, and governs with love for the people. He has the bearing of a true ruler... I have met him a few times, and even witnessed him governing some time ago, but..."

He lowered his head and said:

"In my humble opinion, he has only acquired the wisdom and ambition of the sovereign, but not the divine martial spirit. His love for the people is mostly pretense, his diligence in government is mostly for personal gain, and his actions are clear but without affection. He has a jealous and domineering heart. He is fit to be the ruler of a country, but not fit to be the emperor of the Tianwu lineage."

In short, he is inhumane.

This criticism was extremely sharp, and coming from the mouth of a sword immortal who had met the emperor, it would be enough to severely damage the dignity of the eldest prince if it were to spread!
"As for the Second Prince..."

Li Jiangchun shook his head helplessly and said:
"Although he frequently causes trouble, he has a pure heart. Upon hearing that I had returned to the lake and lost my precious sword, he declared that as long as I do not return, no one in the capital is worthy to draw his sword..."

"This man has won the emperor's favor and is also an extremely intelligent person. His ambition is not in the cause of becoming emperor, nor in cultivation, but rather in swordsmanship and alchemy. However, he is too playful, scattered and not proficient. He is too intelligent, but he only dabble in everything..."

He sighed:
He does not resemble a ruler.

Clearly, even though Li Jiangchun had a better impression of the Second Prince, her final words were still sharp and incisive.

He pondered for a long time before saying:
"As for the Third Prince..."

This made him ponder:
"I've never even met him once. I've heard he's a genius the Yang family sees only once in a thousand years. He's been diligently cultivating, and I don't know what level his cultivation has reached now. In my opinion..."

"He will not participate in the struggle for the throne, but will serve as a backup plan for the Yang family when they are in power. When the time comes, they will rely on their attainment of the Dao through true Qi to seek a secondary or secondary position, so that the Yang family can prosper forever!"

After listening to this, Li Zhouwei seemed to be deep in thought, and said softly:
"Ambitious, capable, and the eldest son of the legitimate wife, it seems that if the Song Emperor must choose a crown prince in the end, it will most likely be the eldest prince."

Li Jiangchun nodded, and Li Quewan whispered:
"Should we make arrangements in advance...?"

Li Zhouwei raised an eyebrow and shook his head, saying:
"That's not necessary. We have nothing to ask of him, and he's not entitled to give us what we want. We can go with the flow, but being too deliberate is not good."

Li Jiangchun bowed deeply and recounted the major events of recent years, including the worries he had expressed to Li Sui before his arrival. Without hesitation, he said:

"In that case, I will set off immediately!"

Li Zhouwei nodded, a faint smile suddenly appearing between his brows, and said:
"How is your father's work going?"

Li Quewan was completely confused, while Li Jiangchun paused for a moment before realizing what was happening, then laughed awkwardly twice and said:

"Father... has received orders from the old master to 'work hard' every day. Besides the concubines he found himself, the emperor has also bestowed several upon him... but... there's still no sign of anything happening..."

Upon hearing this, Li Quewan finally understood what "diligent study" meant, and was momentarily embarrassed. He lowered his head, his expression darkening, and remained silent. Li Zhouwei, on the other hand, walked in with his hands behind his back, casually asked a few questions about his life, and then sighed:
"There's a saying that's true: offspring are a gift from heaven, and we can only hope for a greater chance... Although the family means well, there's no need to force it."

A strange glint appeared in his eyes, but it quickly vanished. He watched as the sword immortal bowed, took his leave, and then turned around, saying with some worry:
"The King of Wei is going to conquer Luoyang, so what about ginseng and purple..."

Li Zhouwei didn't say much, only that:

"It's alright, you should focus on your cultivation."

Li Quewan had no choice but to nod and remind him:
"I have been borrowing the Taiyin Spiritual Treasure from Jiuqiu for some time now. It should have been returned, but I have been afraid of revealing that the King's injuries have healed, so I have not returned it yet. It is still in my hands now."

Her expression was somber:
"We can use it one last time before setting off!"

A hint of joy flickered in Li Zhouwei's eyes as he said:

"good."

This magical treasure is extraordinary. Although it cannot cover the entire battlefield like the "Zheqi" magical treasure, it can empower an individual. Back then, Li Quewan used this item to conceal Li Ximing, who was holding the "Da Li Jin Xi Guang", and was able to severely injure a Purple Mansion cultivator by surprise. But what if it was Li Zhouwei who was concealed?

No matter which corner of the battlefield this King of Wei emerges from, he is enough to turn the tide of the battle!

Li Zhouwei nodded and said seriously:

“Your elder brother is in seclusion, seeking supernatural powers. He probably won’t be able to move around much in the next few years. As for your uncle, we don’t know when he will finish making his elixir. I originally planned to visit Owl and Sunflower, but it seems I will have to postpone it again. As for Yu Zhi, you will have to go there.”

Li Quewan said softly:

"Leave this to me. After all, Cheng Yun already got the items for us a few years ago. When Senior Liu came, he also brought back the [Mysterious Name Dao Fiend]. Take this opportunity to get the [Eight Ghosts Face the Frontier] from Senior Zhong and exchange it for the [Chongyang Star-Controlling Treasure Plate]. Although Owl Kui didn't say anything, it's not good for us to have borrowed other people's things for so long..."

Li Zhouwei agreed, remaining silent for a long time, seemingly considering something. After several breaths, he finally said quietly:
"Que Wan, has there been any change in the [Yin Run Yi Qi]?"

Li Quewan was taken aback and pondered:
"【Yin Run Yi Qi】can be considered above average among Taiyin Qi… With the transformations of 【Chu Yin Fa】, a considerable amount of spiritual energy can be generated…"

Li Zhouwei smiled and said:

"What if it transforms into 'Jueyin'?"

These words silenced Li Quewan for a moment. She calculated with her fingers, realizing that the spiritual energy she had generated that day was somewhat familiar. After a while, she noticed a strange expression on Li Quewan's face:
"Of the Three Yin, Taiyin is the first. This Qi seems to be... quite close to Jueyin. As for the specific changes, I am not a cultivator of the Three Yin, nor do I have any secret methods. Therefore, I cannot know the various changes involved."

Li Quewan was not a dull person; with just this question, she vaguely understood:
'Jueyin…'

How many renowned Jueyin cultivators are there in the world today? There are very few worldly lineages associated with these two words, she whispered.
"Your Majesty means...Wei Xuanyin?!"

It is entirely possible that Wei Xuanyin was intentionally avoiding his own King Wei and pretending to be in seclusion to cultivate, but since the information Yang received was that he wanted to seek the fifth supernatural power, then it is most likely true.

Li Zhouwei smiled and said:
"It's not impossible!"

Li Quewan's heart skipped a beat:

"That makes sense. Bai Ziyu also visited Zhixuan Pavilion back then and was highly valued by him. So that's what his scheme was all about!"

Li Zhouwei nodded, seemingly unconcerned, but Li Quewan frowned and whispered:

"Was his retreat back then all for today? Was it to perfect the Five Laws and then suppress the King again? If so, wouldn't that be aiding the enemy!"

"Being an enemy?"

Li Zhouwei's smile deepened, and he said calmly:

"If he is a friend, we will have a long-term relationship; if he is an enemy, even if he comes to ask for it openly, I will give him this spiritual energy—how can someone who has not perfected the Five Arts be worthy of being my opponent?"

His tone was natural, with a hint of expectant smile. Li Quewan was taken aback and couldn't help but laugh:
"My perspective was too narrow!"

She reached into her sleeve and took out a small jade bottle, saying solemnly:

"The second [Traveling Emperor's Curse] has already been prepared!"

Li Zhouwei had calculated the timing perfectly. The five years it would take to complete his cultivation and elevate his immortal foundation coincided with the time needed for spiritual energy condensation. He accepted the gift with a wave of his sleeve. The woman bowed, her expression relaxing, and she smiled sweetly.
"This junior will go ahead and handle it!"

Li Zhouwei watched her ride the wind and take a step. The brilliance of the sun and moon instantly appeared, filling the heavens and the earth, but he was deep in thought.

'In that case, there aren't many variables that can interfere with me anymore. However, the North is a vast and resource-rich land, and there are several Great Masters there. If they all arrive, trouble is inevitable…'

He sat cross-legged, flicked his finger and shattered the jade bottle. A bright light leaped up and flowed into his mouth, as a surge of inspiration gathered!

'The second one, "Emperor's Observation!"'

(End of this chapter)