Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1267 No War
Xuan Wei lowered his head and remained silent, but the younger man behind him couldn't stand it any longer. Hesitantly approached and tentatively asked:

"Uncle-Master, the Song Dynasty has already reached Xiangxiang—we must find a way to deal with this!"

The middle-aged man seemed to wake from a dream, his hands gripping the windowsill tightly, his voice icy:
"There's nothing we can do about it!"

He turned around quickly, took several steps, his eyes as cold as ice, returned to his seat, gently pressed his index finger on the jade talisman on the table, and pushed it forward until it was in front of Tao Jiexing in front of the table.

Tao Jiexing bowed, then raised her eyebrows to look, and discovered that the jade talisman was inscribed with vertical characters from top to bottom:

[Please, all the Tao family members, urgently go to Yinling to defend against this].

Tao Jiexing was stunned, then exclaimed in shock:
"This is…"

Xuanwei looked at him with a mocking gaze and said:

"This was bestowed upon me by Emperor Zhao Zhaowu when my Tao clan was stationed in Yinling. It is a treasure of the 'Cultivation of the Beyond' path. It has not been activated for several hundred years, but it has lit up today!"

Tao Jiexing pondered for a moment and said:
"Is it Zhao Ting?"

Xuanwei mocked:

"This is the only pretext that will work! Those bald monks—they're dreaming!"

He merely laughed, then calmly sat down and said:

"My Tao family is a prominent clan, unlike other families. Our ancestors have been within the Shuolou and Guanhua Daogui for generations. What? One Qi Lanyan and one Guangchan are not enough? Do you still want to cause trouble?"

He sneered and said:
"No matter what, my Tao family is still a wife's clan of the Qu family. Even Shangguan Zi had to call her Master's Wife when he met our ancestors. Yes... the Wei family is a descendant of the True Lord and is not easy to bully, but my Tao family is easy to bully? If the two Shangguan brothers hadn't failed to attain enlightenment, my Tao family would still be in the Xiyang Temple. Would we be the ones being bullied like this today?"

He said coldly:
"No matter how high you put on your airs, it's all about the winner taking all. The Wei clan hasn't produced a True Monarch in a long time, and human relationships have faded. Even a junior's attainment of Dao is met with so many people pointing fingers at them!"

Uncle-Master Xuanwei was known for his stubbornness, and Tao Jiexing had anticipated this. He had to be extremely careful when relaying Wei Xuanyin's words, speaking as gently as possible. Even so, his uncle-master still heard him clearly, and, burning with anger, said:

"When Xue Linqing entered Tongxuan Palace, he even paid homage to my Tao family's ancestor. In recent years, my Tao family hasn't produced any earth-shattering figures, so it's only right that we don't interfere with their plans. But now..."

He ultimately saved face and said no more. Tao Jiexing said:
"It's just that doing this doesn't look good. Once Luoxia returns to the hands of the Great Zhao... we'll offend a lot of people..."

Xuan Wei said in a cold voice:
“I’m not someone who’s easily manipulated. If he dares to push my Tao family, I, Xuanwei, am willing to tear off the mask and use the methods left by our ancestors—then we’ll see who loses face more!”

Tao Jiexing hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly. She silently lowered her head, speechless, and only said:
"I'm just afraid... that the King of Wei... has been forced into this situation..."

"King of Wei?"

Xuanwei laughed and shook his head in reply:
"you are wrong!"

His eyes gleamed strangely as he looked south, a rather odd expression on his face.
"Look at this situation. Who's forcing him right now? Wrong! He's forcing others!"

Tao Jiexing seemed to be deep in thought. He raised his head, and the Master Xuanwei said:
"He is the White Qilin. As his supernatural powers gradually matured, he was always the one forcing others—during the Battle of Xianhu, the entire Song Dynasty was almost truly enraged. Wasn't it also because of him who forced them to fight?"

Tao Jiexing pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice:
"Then let's..."

"Just wait for him to come."

Xuanwei sat quietly in the pavilion, a hint of mockery in his eyes, and said:

“I know what he wants, and I’ve had enough of it—they’re afraid Li Zhouwei is too ambitious, afraid that if they lose Luoyang, they’ll lose leverage to the Song Dynasty. I’m going to make their worst fear come true!”

His gaze was deep and unfathomable as he stared directly at Tao Jiexing. This young man was no longer the naive newcomer he once was; a flicker of something gleamed in his eyes.
'Are the "them" Uncle mentioned really Zhao Ting and the Seven Ministers? Were they really cursing those monks? No one's going to go through the trouble of pursuing this with my family; at most, we'd offend one of Jiang's leaders… Is it really necessary to use our trump cards?'

……

Jia Zan left Yinling in the light and walked in the void for a while. The ominous feeling in his heart grew stronger and his expression gradually darkened. Soon, his expression changed and he turned to the east.

On that vast plain, golden energy soared into the sky, and even faint flashes of lightning appeared!

'Ruzhou!'

'Something's happened in the east too!'

If the 'Crimson Arrowhead' flashing in the sky just now made Jia Zan realize that things were very bad, then the multiple lights that lit up in the east were the best contrast, making Jia Zan look gloomy.

'Ruzhou has also fallen. Even if it cannot be captured in a short time, how could the Song people allow both sides to free up their forces!'

He turned his head abruptly, his eyes darting around:
'The Tao family, having lost its patron, also seems hesitant... The old master Qiao has fallen, and although the Ju family possesses genius, they are far from reaching the Purple Mansion realm...'

It can be said that a major factor in Jia Zan's willingness to go south was the presence of an experienced old master and the rising prodigy of the Yang family in Ruzhou. If the Yu and Yang families in Ruzhou did not intervene, how could Luoyang possibly fare well?

'In other words, only Jiang Fuwang and Lü Fu are in Xiangxiang, and at this moment, only I, Jia, am on my way to Xiangxiang…'

Once this thought arose, Jia Zan could not move an inch. His eyes flickered with uncertainty as he stood still in the void, intently observing.

'Those two are from prominent families, possessing countless treasures. If Li Zhouwei truly came alone without any reinforcements, it's impossible for him to defeat them so easily. My hasty rush in wouldn't be of much use…'

'But if more Song people come, I will become the breakthrough point...'

If it weren't for Jia Zan's inability to bear Lü Fu's arrogant preaching and his decision to stay away from the trouble and reside in Yinling, he would have actually gone out of the prefecture to meet the enemy and hold his ground for reinforcements. But at this moment, Jia Zan had become the one who understood the situation. The surprise and doubt in his eyes grew stronger and stronger as he realized the situation before him.

'Luoxia's only chance to break the deadlock lies with the Tao family. Xuanwei is unwilling to step forward, and without external support, Luoxia ultimately cannot stop Song Feng!'

His gaze moved little by little, slowly settling on the west. The Zanmen Gate was shining brightly, but he didn't know if there would be a response. However, Jia Zan had no hope at all—Zhao Ting was bickering with each other, arguing about the same thing seven or eight times. What kind of methods could they possibly have?
'If I were to guard the south for them, the troops dispatched from Zanmen wouldn't even be able to keep up with the funeral procession of my Jia family!'

The southern flames were astonishing, showing no signs of weakening and even appearing to soar into the sky. Jia Zan's desire to turn around and leave grew stronger, but no matter how his expression changed, he remained firmly rooted to the spot.

'But Dangshan is still in seclusion…'

The Jia and Wei families have been on good terms for generations. Although Jia Zan is not very promising and only broke through with the help of a treasure, he has a nephew named Wei Dangshan who is exceptionally talented and is currently in seclusion in Xiangxiang, breaking through to the Purple Mansion realm!

'The Song soldiers certainly won't harm either of our families, and I can easily go away and hide for a year or two to observe the situation. But once Luoyang falls, even if these southern warriors don't kill my direct descendants, they certainly won't leave our great formation untouched…'

Even if the King of Wei had no intention of killing his own people, as long as the Purple Mansion Formation was broken, Wei Dangshan, who was in seclusion inside, would surely die!
At this moment, Jia Zan had no choice but to rise on the wind, cross the void, and approach the south with trepidation. Sure enough, he saw the sky full of crimson, the desert sands rolling, and the murderous aura soaring to the sky.

He cautiously maintained his distance, his hands forming a mudra, one finger touching his brow and the other his lower abdomen, his supernatural powers brewing, tears welling in his eyes, which soon coalesced into a tapestry of colors:

'【Secret Method of Observing Colors and Seeing!】'

The sky was golden, the sun was setting, and various scenes flashed by. What came into view was a magnificent and splendid heavenly gate, standing between heaven and earth like a small mountain, with thick purple flames. The base of the gate was submerged in the sea of ​​clouds, reaching to the heavens and the earth!

"Visiting the Heavenly Gate!"
Inside the door was an intensely bright light, with the sky shining brightly below. A golden light was struggling to break free, but it was repeatedly bound by descending golden chains, and dimmed time and time again.

Jia Zan was both surprised and horrified, his gaze slowly shifting.

On the plains outside Xiangxiang County, a middle-aged man was kneeling on the ground, holding a gun in one hand, barely supporting himself on the ground. Although he had broken through the "Red Arrowhead", his body was still covered with the blood-red light of the setting sun, making him look very terrifying.

"puff…"

The man kept his head down, making it impossible to see his features. He kept spitting out blood intermittently, which made Jia Zan's heart tremble. Only when the man slowly raised his head did he reveal his mature, weathered, and masculine face.

Jiang Fuwang.

Half of his face was stained with bright blood, and bright gold marks stretched from his forehead to his neck. His silver armor was completely shattered, scattered like rain across the fertile field, illuminating the surrounding area.

Each fragment is priceless, yet not a single cultivator dares to approach this place.

Although Jiang Fuwang's supernatural powers and talents were not particularly remarkable, his combat skills were by no means ordinary. He once led a group to conquer the northern desert, subdued various tribes, and forced Helian Wujiang to withdraw his troops and abandon his fertile land.

While the name of the Jiang family certainly played a part, the man's exceptional abilities could not be denied. Yet, this man, a member of the Jiang family with considerable achievements, was now kneeling on one knee, covered in blood, using his spear to support himself.

'If even Jiang Fuwang is like this, what can Lü Fu do? He's bound to be beneath that heavenly gate!'

Jia Zan stiffly followed his gaze.

A young man stood quietly in the setting sun.

Compared to Jiang Fuwang's magnificent armor, this man's black robe was simply decorated with gold patterns, making it appear much simpler. He stood quietly beneath the Heavenly Gate, gazing at the man kneeling below the city walls, seemingly with considerable admiration.

Jia Zan no longer cared about any of that; he only knew one thing.

Xiangxiang has fallen.

'How long has it been? Thirty moves? Fifty moves?'

He was momentarily stunned, standing there blankly. But to his astonishment, the young man slowly turned his face, his face like a demon god pointing north, staring directly into Jia Zan's eyes.

A pair of golden eyes that blend seamlessly with the glow of the setting sun.

'broken!!'

Jia Zan felt a chill rush to his nose, but he could see the lips and teeth open and close for a moment, as if they were saying something. However, he didn't have time to listen, as a strong sense of crisis had already rushed into his heart.

In the final moment, his vision blurred, and the young man beneath the heavenly gate vanished.

Jia Zan's hair stood on end, and his figure transformed into countless streams of light that floated up. However, the situation in the entire Xiangxiang changed from stillness to movement. At this critical moment, the real person who had fallen on the fertile soil and was covered in blood disappeared. The Heavenly Gate that stood on the plain was suddenly lifted up, and bright golden light flashed out, as if trying to escape!
The real people below have been waiting for this moment for a long time!
The uproar was deafening!

But while Jia Zan was recklessly using his supernatural powers, the vanished youth did not head north, but instead moved a hundred feet and reappeared above the Heavenly Gate.

His expression was calm, showing no interest whatsoever in Jia Zan in the distance. His black boots shimmered with iridescent light as he stomped heavily on the brightly lit Heavenly Gate!
"Boom!"

The newly raised "Gate of Heaven" fell again, crashing down at several times the speed, as if it had smashed into a mountain, producing a deafening roar. The white vapor that shot into the sky was accompanied by a muffled thud that shook the heavens and the earth!

The Heavenly Gate was stabilized again, but the golden light beneath it seemed to have suffered a fatal blow, flickering and changing erratically.

Only then did they hear the King of Wei's calm voice:
"Fellow Daoist Lü! What a pity to miss this last chance."

At this moment, Jia Zan's judgment suddenly became clear. He didn't unleash his supernatural powers, nor did he turn and run. Instead, he took half a step forward, striding across the room. His voice arrived before he did, urgent yet respectful, saying:
"King Wei!"

In the crimson sunset, Jia Zan knelt down without hesitation and whispered:
"Jia Zan has replaced the Jia and Wei families, and the people of Xiangxiang pay homage to King Wei!"

He stared straight at the ground, his voice respectful. Only now did the sense of danger that had been surrounding him slowly fade away. Jia Zan was still trembling slightly, his eyes lowered and his expression composed.

The vast fertile land still shimmered with silver light, as if filled with moonlight. The middle-aged general had vanished, and the entire land was eerily silent. Jia Zan slowly raised his eyebrows and finally saw the appearance of the King of Wei—his majestic appearance possessed a captivating charm. At this moment, he seemed oblivious, his five fingers gleaming as he gently played with a small, brightly patterned golden cauldron, appearing quite interested.

'【Chenshan Golden Sand Cauldron】...Lu Fu even lost his spiritual weapon…'

King Wei turned his head, looked at the old man kneeling before him, and said:

"You flatter me, Master. There's no need for such a grand gesture."

A huge weight lifted from Jia Zan's heart, and he quickly stood up, saying:

"King Wei...King Wei's divine might...We are utterly terrified..."

The person before me gently shook their head, their shadow stretched long by the blood-red sunset, their tone enigmatic:
"Even now, you still dare to underestimate me... Instead of trying to escape the moment we met, you actually dared to test your supernatural abilities against me..."

"Then there's no need to use it."

Jia Zan felt a chill run down his spine. In that instant, he seemed to understand why the world was terrified and no one dared to oppose that emperor when he marched out of Guanzhong...

'When Mingyang is in a high position, those who disobey him are killed. Lü Fu, Lü Fu... your defeat was not unjust...'

In that moment of reverie, the person in front of me turned their head and looked south.

Jia Zan silently adjusted his posture and turned around. Before he could even ask the question he was about to ask, his pupils reflected the streaks of colorful light rushing from the south.

His mouth tasted bitter and astringent.
Five real people!

(End of this chapter)