Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1326 Three Doubts
Although the Tang family is not prominent now, their ancestors were high-ranking cultivators of the Tongxuan Daoist lineage and were qualified to serve as attendants to the "Xu Xiang" of the Lingbao Daoist lineage. Unlike the Zhou family and other aristocratic families that only prospered during the Liang Dynasty, Tang Jiyu naturally had a sense of arrogance.

This is why he did not surrender immediately and continued to fight; he had already made up his mind.

'The white qilin is imposing, yet it is unaware of the prevailing trends in the world. It should fight if it can, and retreat if it cannot. It must not surrender in one fell swoop... but instead attack its own homeland...'

Tang Jiyu is also a mid-stage Purple Mansion cultivator. If he can't defeat him, can't he at least get past him?
But Li Zhouwei's supernatural abilities were truly terrifying, and these words echoed in Tang Jiyu's ears, causing his expression to change drastically. All the thoughts that had been brewing in his mind vanished.

Li Zhouwei conquered Luoyang like a whirlwind. When the news reached the county, the various noble families had already discussed it and made preparations.

'There's bound to be great chaos in the Central Plains, and that chaos will stem from this King of Wei. Let him run wild and ascend the throne as soon as possible. After he falls, he'll ultimately be under our control...'

Back then, weren't Emperor Liang and Emperor Zhao also kings and nobles? Li Zhouwei might not even be comparable to Emperor Zhao. All the powerful families still survived. If all those who ascended to supernatural powers were slaughtered, who would herd cattle and sheep for him?
For the Tang family, it was best to remain unknown. They absolutely could not risk their lives by putting themselves in the hands of the King of Wei. He could not kill them all, but it would be easy to capture one or two. If they were caught and used as a warning to others, they would be more wronged than anyone else!
He knew the person in front of him might be bluffing, but he still couldn't take the risk:
'Other schools of thought are one thing, but this is the Mingyang School, stripped of its official hats and feathers; they'll fight without any regard for reason!'

Benefiting from the infamous reputation of the former Wei Emperor, this master was momentarily stunned. He glanced at Zhou Feng beside him, then turned to look at the King of Wei, finally taking a step back, bowing, and saying:
"In the unlikely event that the city falls... I implore Your Majesty to grant me a swift return to good faith and to show me leniency..."

These words came suddenly, making Zhou Feng both relieved and helpless as he looked up. The old man was now staring at him, inwardly grumbling:
'You should have said so earlier... instead of asking me in such a hurry...'

Li Zhouwei only raised his eyebrows to look at him.

Tang Jiyu felt a chill run down his spine, and he swallowed his words, silently taking a step back, bowing to the ground, and saying:
"Greetings to the king!"

In an instant, all the supernatural light dissipated, and the three of them stood again between the collapsed pavilions. Zhou Feng had already stood up and stood sideways, looking very familiar with each other. Tang Jiyu was still a little uncomfortable, so he silently got up and stood in the mountains.

Li Zhouwei was a robust man, a head taller than them. Even with his supernatural powers gone, he still exuded a powerful and oppressive aura. As the King of Wei looked up, someone stepped forward beside him.

"My name is Yang Ruizhao—a minor repairman from the South. Greetings, esteemed gentlemen!"

This Chi Xuan was also considered a direct descendant of the Yang family, but among the short, he was the most outstanding. He was not comparable to Yang Ruiyi, but his status in the Song Dynasty was similar to that of Li Zhouluo. However, precisely because of this, he did not know much about the situation and was somewhat proud of relying on the Li family for his glory and wealth. He was much closer to them. At this moment, he smiled narrowly and bowed to the two of them, clearly having enjoyed the show.

His appearance greatly eased the awkwardness between the two, since bowing to the underworld was not shameful at all. The two responded one by one, and then Li Zhouwei said:

"I trouble Marquis Ping'an and the two fellow Daoists to remain here and provide support to the Southern Divine Power..."

He paused for a moment.

'Tang Jiyu and Zhou Feng have already surrendered. For these True Men, surrendering to me, Li Zhouwei, isn't the greatest shame. What's shameful is surrendering without any struggle. Fortunately, I am now a Great True Men, so I can barely swallow this shame... But having swallowed it, I will certainly not easily change sides again.'

After all, it would be a shameful thing no matter what. Changing the flag a second time would not only bring no benefits, but would also directly offend the King of Wei to the extreme and cut off his way out!

But Li Zhouwei still couldn't hand over Dangyin, their backup plan, back to them. He said softly:

"Once Ye Hui and Chang Yun arrive together, we'll have them enter Liangchuan and replace Yu Xi and Yuan Bian."

Yang Ruizhao's eyes lit up, and he bowed in response.

This person, Chi Xuan, is surnamed Yang, and carries some of the face of the underworld, which makes the two of them more cautious. He is the most suitable candidate now. As for the protection of the banished qi... it is not very useful.

'To the east lies Juancheng, which possesses a powerful Purple Mansion Array. At this point, concealing our whereabouts is futile; a battle is inevitable.'

After Li Zhouwei finished giving his instructions, he secretly relieved the two men. After all, they didn't have to turn around and attack Juancheng, and at least for now, they could avoid losing face in front of their many old acquaintances from Gu County.

As for the future…

Tang Jiyu tried to comfort himself:
'In the future? Who knows, we might even become colleagues again!'

With a single thought, the world expands; he stepped forward first and said:

"Thank you, King Wei, for showing mercy..."

Only then did the King of Wei turn his gaze to the two men. His tone was calm, the murderous aura he had exuded had long since vanished, yet he still possessed an air of authority:
"Master Tang, who is guarding Juancheng?"

Li Zhouwei's intentions were clear, but Tang Jiyu remained unfazed, pondering:
"Reporting to King Wei, Juancheng is under the protection of Qiao Wenliu, the Three Doubts True Man of the Qiao Clan. He cultivates the 'Lesser Yin' style and is a local of this city. He is barely connected to Gu County. Although he is eccentric and arrogant, he is a capable man and is extremely skilled in the Dao of Water and Fire. In his time, he only lost to Wei Xuanyin among his peers. His [Heavenly Wood Fire Spirit Array] is also very powerful. Please be careful!"

'Lesser Yin'...

Hearing him praise the other party to the skies, Li Zhouwei became more attentive and asked:

"Only him?"

Tang Jiyu replied:
"When we arrived, he was alone. Now that the world has changed, I wonder if anyone has gone out..."

Li Zhouwei understood his meaning and said softly:
"【Heavenly Wood Fire Spirit Array】...which wood is it?"

Tang Jiyu pondered for a moment and said:
"It is the extremely famous 'Protecting Wood' spirit array, which is rare in this world. It can cover all directions and monitor all kinds of changes within a hundred miles. If the King of Wei can take down this array, it will definitely be of great benefit."

Li Zhouwei sensed that he hadn't finished speaking and said:

"You have a plan?"

Tang Jiyu quickly rolled up his sleeves and said:

"I dare not call it a strategy... just a few foolish thoughts..."

He concealed it with his supernatural powers and whispered:
"Let the King of Wei know that Qiao Wenliu is exceptionally talented, but he is also arrogant, greedy, and acts impulsively. Once he has an idea, not even nine oxen could pull him back. I know he desperately wants a certain martial arts technique that requires two elements of water and two elements of fire, and now he only lacks one element of true fire..."

A hint of regret flashed in the old master's eyes. He raised his head and sighed:
"We've made it clear to the King of Wei that those powerful figures in Gu County won't believe anyone is stirring up trouble at this time, including myself and Qiao Wenliu!"

Upon hearing this, Li Zhouwei immediately understood.

Tang Jiyu's behavior had long been a cause for suspicion. Two dignified Purple Mansions were hiding like two giant rats in their palace at the foot of the mountain, not believing that anyone would come. The more they feared the celestial phenomena, the less they believed that anyone would attack the city at this moment!

'Perfect timing, I've already got Jiang Qian keeping an eye on it…'

This is an unexpected surprise!

He nodded and said:

"Old Master's method is good, but it's too simplistic. It's a good method, but whether it's truly effective or not doesn't matter much. I'll make some minor modifications, and I'm sure he won't fall for it."

This person is sensible; Li Zhouwei, unusually, gave him a second glance and said:
"Master Tang is right. If one does good early, one will naturally achieve merit!"

After saying that, his figure floated away like light, heading east at lightning speed, leaving the two of them standing on the ruins as if in another world. They looked at Yang Ruizhao, who was smiling and standing with his hands behind his back in front of them, and exchanged helpless glances.

Zhou Feng remained silent, then activated his supernatural power and said:
"This sudden downpour will likely cause both of us some trouble..."

Tang Jiyu, however, was much calmer. A completely different light appeared in his old eyes. This old man could switch roles much faster. He sneered and answered to himself:

'Have you not seen the cicada soaring high above the peak? Furthermore, what do you mean by suddenly descending? It's clearly an inexplicable banishment, perhaps even possessing unpredictable divine power…'

"If we drag a few more people down with us, things will be easier for both of us, right?"

Zhou Feng could only nod in agreement, then turned to look at Yang Ruizhao beside him, listening to Chi Xuan's words:

"King Wei values ​​the people's livelihood. Please open the city gates and let the people in first."

The two masters suddenly realized and said:

"Yes!"

……

Juancheng.

The city walls shimmered with light, and towering walls stood by the river. There, a figure stood high above, wielding supernatural powers, sitting serenely in a pavilion ablaze with true fire, his demeanor otherworldly.

Beside the pavilion stood a Taoist-looking figure, frowning and appearing somewhat impatient.

The person in the pavilion was holding a thin incense stick, lighting it with his fingers, and smelling it carefully. A satisfied look appeared on his face. He then offered it to the person next to the pavilion, who couldn't refuse and took it, also smelling it.

The person in the pavilion laughed and said:
"Fellow Daoist Jiang, this tastes good. It's because of the addition of [Mysterious Rose Flower], which has a strong woody flavor."

Jiang Dai sighed and said:

"Master Qiao, we should still be careful. The celestial phenomena are so terrifying. My uncle specifically sent me here, just in case something unexpected happens..."

Qiao Wenliu was a vigorous and handsome man with a long, beardless face, giving him the appearance of an elder. He wore a blue robe, held a wine pot in his hand, and was surrounded by layers of mysterious light, making him quite dashing.

His eyes gleamed, and he smiled:

"Nothing will change. You children don't understand the changes of the heavens. There is the female water in the heavens, and the river changes, which is the union of the female and the great mound. There is also Kan, which signifies vastness. When it is completed, the heavens and earth will be darkened, and the dragon will be extremely angry..."

"With such thunder and sparse rain, and the river returning to its proper course, it must mean the plan failed and will not harm the world!"

Jiang Dai, of course, knew that the person before him was a master of both water and fire arts; otherwise, why would his family have specifically sent him? Now that he had learned the news, he nodded secretly, still saying:
"I think it's best to be cautious."

Qiao Wenliu chuckled and shook his head, then his facial movements suddenly froze. He straightened his back, leaned forward, squinted, and made a finger gesture, before a look of joy flashed across his face as he said:
"Good good..."

Jiang Dai hurriedly went to look at him, only to see that when the real person clapped his hands, the array in front of him had already revealed a scene.

In the vast emptiness, something shadowy seemed to be flying forward, but it was detected by the formation, revealing a blazing scale or claw, its light flashing, startling Jiang Dai, who exclaimed in surprise:

“Spiritual fire!”

"good."

Qiao Wenliu's eyes burned with intensity. He abruptly stood up, hands behind his back, and paced back and forth, saying:

"This is 'Blazing Fire'! What a great opportunity!"

Despite calling it a great opportunity, he didn't take a step. Instead, he watched the flames wander in the void, slowly approaching along the edge of the great formation. Jiang Dai looked puzzled and said:

"Where did this come from?!"

Qiao Wenliu placed one hand on his sleeve, tapping it lightly as he pondered deeply, and said:

"Is there even a question? Dalingchuan!"

Jiang Dai shook his head and said:
"Dalingchuan was indeed shattered just now, and many treasures were scattered, but that was the Water Virtue Grotto Heaven. How could a spiritual fire wander here? It's quite a distance away, how could no one have noticed it?"

Qiao Wenliu laughed heartily and said:
"You wouldn't know this! This fire is called [Mysterious Diamond Flowing Flame], which is a type of 'Bright Fire'. I saw a copy of it in Longxi back then. This thing is hidden in the void and is extremely difficult to find. If it weren't for this formation and my Lesser Yin Divine Power, I would have missed it too!"

"As for why it is a spirit fire—there are many possibilities. Perhaps some cultivator went into the cave and was killed, and the fire escaped on its own."

"Escaped on their own?"

Jiang Dai's expression changed, and he said:
"Sir, please wait!"

I know what you're thinking!

Qiao Wenliu stood with his hands behind his back, chin raised high, and smiled:

"It's nothing more than thinking about the King of Wei."

“That’s right. Luo Xia has long since surrendered to the Li family and fled to the Song Dynasty. His military force is already threatening the north. However, Dalingchuan has just fallen. He hasn’t even had time to heal his wounds. How could he possibly launch a distant expedition to the north? This is a question.”

"From Luoxia to here, we must pass through Dangyin. Tang Jiyu and Zhou Feng can guard it!"

He smiled slightly:
"These two are short-sighted, but it must be admitted that the man surnamed Tang is quite capable. Yang Ruiyi has no right to help Li Zhouwei! Even with those few True Immortals, the Prince of Wei might not be able to defeat him quickly in a head-on confrontation..."

"This is the second point of doubt."

"Furthermore, even if the two guards of Dangyin are pig demons, they would grunt when they are attacked, so why would they be completely silent? This is the third suspicion."

A glint of light flashed in his eyes as he looked at the thoughtful junior beside him, his words like a gentle admonition:

"Even if I take a step back and say that Yang Ruiyi and Cheng Xunzhi lost their minds this time, and acted together, they really managed to subdue the two of them silently. With such a large force, Zhou Feng is cowardly and Ji Yu is greedy, so they will definitely help Song. These two know that I urgently need the real fire, and in order to claim credit, they will definitely inform Yang Ruiyi!"

Qiao Wenliu chuckled:

"Why not take the true fire, not take the lesser yin, and instead throw out a raging fire?"

"These are the four doubts."

He smiled, interrupting Jiang Dai's thoughts, and said:
"In my actions, I, Qiao, do not hesitate more than three times; if I do, I lose my edge and there is no need to discuss it further!"

"This item must have been lost by someone in Dalingchuan, but was interrupted by the battle of Dharma Images. Seeing the strange celestial phenomena, they dared not come to search for it, so they were unable to collect it and it wandered here."

This analysis was incisive, courageous, and strategic, demonstrating a mastery of both action and retreat, which filled Jiang Dai with awe and admiration.
'After all, he was a senior who once ventured west to Xiangyang, directly into Guanzhong, and compared his skills with the immortal descendants of Longxi. Such profound cultivation is one thing, but his gaze is also incredibly piercing… If his ancestors weren't so illustrious… he could probably cultivate in a grotto-heaven!'

After laughing, Qiao Wenliu stepped into the air, his supernatural powers gathered, and he sped for a hundred miles. His large hand transformed into a pure white halo that enveloped the heavens and the earth, and entered the void, firmly grasping the flames!

Jiang Dai stood on the city wall, within the formation, gazing into the distance, and discovered that the colors seemed like white jade frozen in black ice, solidifying at the moment of its maximum expansion.

The look of admiration on his face froze for a moment.

He raised his head somewhat blankly and saw the boundless, pitch-black sky beyond the formation, and the enormous setting sun lurking on the horizon.

"Red-striped arrowhead?"

The shock and astonishment clashed with the lingering admiration on his face, leaving him frozen in place. But he possessed supernatural powers and reacted in an instant. The imposing young man, without a second thought, immediately stepped forward. However, after only half a step, his movement abruptly halted, his face turning ashen, leaving only a deep, unfathomable shock:
"The...Master?"

Four incredible beams of light, like pillars of light in the sky, shattered his reason, leaving his mind blank. There was no time for doubt, no time for questioning; only two words echoed in his mind:
"It's over!"