Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1360 Deceit
The side hall was brightly lit.

The doors were tightly shut, and the hall was quiet. An old man sat to the side, looking quite content. He held a teacup in his hand and blew on it gently. Although he was deep behind enemy lines, he seemed to be in his own courtyard, quite pleased with himself.

Before him, the young man strolled leisurely through the hall, hands behind his back, seemingly unconcerned about the person who had been summoned alone. Occasionally, he would stop, take out a small talisman from his sleeve, and examine it closely in the sunlight.

But only a few breaths later, footsteps could be heard, leading to the front of the main hall. One person stopped abruptly, turned and walked away, while the other pushed open the door and entered.

"crunch..."

Pang Yi looked up and saw a man in red entering. He was very handsome, but his eyes were a little narrow and his cheekbones were sharp. Only his golden eyes were particularly captivating, which made Pang Yi's expression change slightly.

Pang Queyun suddenly stood up, and Pang Yi had already bowed very solemnly, saying:
"I have met His Highness!"

The only family with golden eyes and bloodline is this one, so the father and son naturally knew without a doubt that the person in front of them must be Li Jiangqian!
Pang Yi's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but consider it carefully.

Pang Yi, stationed at the second pass, also had some speculations about this opponent:

'This person may not possess any extraordinary abilities, but he is extremely ruthless. His actions are illegitimate and baseless, yet he dares to employ figures from the underworld, demonstrating his treacherous intentions and making him no ordinary individual!'

Pang Yi prefers to act with a legitimate purpose, seeking credit from the immortals and nobles. Self-preservation is his top priority, and he will only resort to using others to kill as a last resort. In his view, this kind of use of the netherworld is extremely domineering and violent.

'If someone dares to scheme against even the netherworld, what person can't they scheme against?'

Therefore, he was quite wary of Li Jiangqian. He was polite on the surface, and his father also stood up from the side and came over with a smile. Unexpectedly, the prince did not say much and sat down in the main seat.

Pang Queyun, though quite old, showed no arrogance. He followed closely behind, intending to pour tea for the prince, but the young man in the crimson robe straightened up, pressed his hand down, and said:
"Oh... you flatter me, senior!"

Pang Queyun shook his head repeatedly, but before he could speak, Li Jiangqian straightened up and sighed:

"Senior Pang, there's no need for such formalities. Changli came this time because he heard some gossip, and thus, at the request of Master Yu, came to inquire about the two of you..."

Pang Yi narrowed his eyes, bowed deeply, and feigned surprise, saying:
"What are you saying, Your Highness!"

Li Jiangqian glanced at him thoughtfully and sneered:
"As expected! Those two are truly despicable people who sow discord, wasting Master Yu's painstaking efforts... Father is indeed more perceptive than I am!"

The father and son stood together, silently communicating, cursing in their hearts:

'This brat is trying to bluff us!'

Pang Yi, however, wanted to give him face, and asked with a mixture of surprise and doubt:
"Your Highness..."

Li Jiangqian said coldly:
"Do you two know... that Master Gu was captured by my father, and he deeply resented your ability to please everyone, cursing you incessantly. My father, on the other hand, admires your character and has long been quite dissatisfied with you two..."

"He then inquired about the many supernatural abilities under his command, and some said that the two were truly villains. Now... things are acting strangely in the city, and Father already suspects that the two are the ones causing trouble and want to destroy everything!"

'Nonsense, what does this have to do with the Ponzi scheme…'

Pang Yi sneered inwardly, while Pang Queyun remained unconvinced, though outwardly he bowed deeply and sighed:

"My Pang family has always been well-liked in the county, how could a fellow Daoist slander us like this!"

"good?"

Li Jiangqian laughed loudly and said:
“I won’t say who it is, but do you know what they’re saying about you? Some people say: Pang Yi, taking advantage of the situation to avoid harm, doesn’t hesitate to kill living beings, focuses on the near but loses the far, dares to abandon the weighty task of establishing the dynasty, he’s just a petty person.”

He said:

“Wantlessly killing living beings and harming righteous people are the greatest taboos of my father. When I saw that things were not going well, I asked, ‘How does Pang Queyun compare to his son?’”

"Then a fellow Daoist immediately said: Father and son look alike!"

The two exchanged a glance, somewhat caught off guard, only to see the young man stand up. Seemingly displeased by their silence, he spoke impulsively in a cold voice:
"These words are clear and unmistakable, and Heaven and Earth can bear witness. If no one says this to the King of Wei, then I will not only fail to obtain the gold, but also be executed in Zhao, and all my supernatural powers will vanish into thin air!"

As he uttered this grand oath, a slight glint flashed in his eyes, as if his very life force had instantly sensed it, leaving the two frozen in place:

'ah?!'

Pang Yi's expression finally changed; his brows furrowed, and disbelief arose in his heart:

'How can it be! ’

'Although my family is not of any great lineage, we have always been well-rounded and have never offended anyone. In fact, we have many good relationships with others. How could anyone speak such words to the King of Wei!'

The father and son remained silent, but the atmosphere had clearly become tense. Li Jiangqian said calmly:
"Although my father did not answer, as his son, I still understand his intentions. Now that we are at an impasse, you must be doubting Gu You's life. If anything happens, my father will hold you both responsible!"

He sneered:

"It's no wonder Master Yu is so anxious. You two are being used without even realizing it. What can a rogue cultivator do? Who is behind you two? They probably intend to ruin your reputation with my father... You should think about what the consequences will be."

Pang Yi paused slightly.

'Fu He?'

Logically speaking, Pang Yi and Fu He had a tacit understanding. Ye Tuji seemed to be a rogue cultivator, but Long Kangyao, who had been in the cave for many years, did not know that this person was Pang Yi and Fu He's childhood friend and had cultivated together in another cave...

According to the tacit agreement, as long as Ye Tuji brings back Gu You as dead, and we say some ambiguous things, then if anything goes wrong, Fu He will be the one to take responsibility.

'Could he be making a move on Mingyang's side beforehand, shifting the responsibility on Wei Wang's side onto me? Forcing me to stand by his side?'

He was still unsure, but Li Jiangqian didn't want him to doubt. The prince stepped down and smiled:
"I don't care. That guy's flaws have already been seen through by my father. Let's make things clear with you, fellow Daoist! Once Ye Tuji returns, my father will set off simultaneously and personally go to the pass to confront you, Pang, for your instigation. He will then hand Gu You back to True Man Longkang!"

These words were like a bolt from the blue, leaving Pang Yi speechless.

If what Li Jiangqian said is true, then he has already eliminated any possibility of him having an affair with Fu He!

When Ye Tuji falsely reported that Gu You was dead, Pang Yi and Fu He made a solemn vow. However, Long Kangyao took a step forward and immediately brought Gu You back. What became of them?
'If Gu You were to think about it even slightly, that hot-tempered man... would definitely consider us mortal enemies, and would completely offend Long Kangyao and Bu Zaotian!'

He frowned, finally dropping his pretense, and whispered:

"The King of Wei actually agreed to hand over the excellent situation in the East!"

Li Jiangqian laughed heartily, leaned over, and whispered:
"What grand situation? Fellow Daoist... if we continue fighting, will that person from the Cave Heaven intervene? We've exhausted our resources, and all our supernatural powers have been subdued by Mingyang. Why continue eastward? Does your Chun City contain the Wei Emperor's relics or Mingyang's sacred site? Are you determined to break through in one fell swoop? Do you really think the Yan Kingdom is a dead man?"

Pang Yi suddenly looked up, his heart pounding:

'He means... the tacit understanding within the Yan state... is limited... even fragile...'

He whispered:

"Master Yu has quite the influence."

Li Jiangqian laughed and said:

"Fellow Daoist Pang, there's no need to pretend. My father values ​​talent, and of course I hope to earn his favor. We are both intelligent people, and to be honest, I highly value you, and I also value the Pang family..."

He said calmly:
"Senior Queyun has been stuck in the mid-stage of the Purple Mansion realm for many years. True Man Yu said he wanted the [Green Bamboo and Millet Qi]. The Three Yin spiritual items in the North are scarce, and several are in the hands of those Great Dao lineages. But in our eyes, aren't they just those few things? Not only can we satisfy all of these things for you, Senior, but we have also swept across the East, and all Jueyin items can be given to you for priority use."

The old man's breathing suddenly became heavy, and he stared straight at him, a sudden realization dawning on him, exploding in his mind:
'They're at Wangyue Lake! The ancestral home of Donghua!'

Li Jiangqian's voice lowered, filled with ambition:

“I share common interests with you, senior. I also need a great master to back me up under my father. Although Qiao Wenliu is on the verge of reaching the Purple Realm, he is just a reckless man and cannot be compared with the two of you. Master Yu’s heart is in True Qi, and I could not persuade him otherwise, so he pushed Senior Pang over here… There is much we can do together…”

Pang Yi turned his head slightly to look at his father, Pang Queyun, who kept his eyes closed and remained silent.

Li Jiangqian then stood up and looked down at him, saying:
"Of course, if you are truly too afraid of offending them, you can go back and explain the pros and cons to that person, thus halting your plans for Gu You. In that case, I would like to ask you to guess whether the King of Wei will still go to Chuncheng to release Gu You. If he doesn't, and they see the conflict turn into peace, will the other side regret it and become suspicious of you two? Won't you end up pleasing neither side?"

The young man sat leisurely in the main seat, legs crossed, his words seemingly casual. Pang Yi let out a long sigh, and seeing that his father still remained silent, he knew he was already tempted. Finally, he lowered his head and said resentfully:
"If this succeeds, Your Highness must inform us who slandered the Pang family before the King of Wei!"

Li Jiangqian's lips curled up, and he said:
"I will definitely tell you my full name and all that I need to do then!"

"it is good!"

Pang Yi bowed deeply, as if relieved of a great burden, or as if he had finally found a powerful backer and could realize his ambitions. His eyes shone brightly, and he gritted his teeth and said:

"Fu He is reckless and unwise, and Lü An is cowardly and self-effacing. I, Pang, have had enough!"

Li Jiangqian simply helped him up and said:
"His original name was Fu He."

In a brief moment of contemplation, Li Jiangqian had actually considered various methods:

'Their strategy succeeded because they deceived us into believing we didn't know Long Kangyao had powerful patrons, and that this Great Master couldn't even control his own subordinates. Now, with Nanfang's reminder, there are so many ways to break this deadlock…'

There is even a very direct solution right now: as long as Pang Queyun and Pang Yizhi are controlled, there is no need to worry about the other one not telling the truth when he goes back!
'However, this method could easily be used against us by that Fu He, who could accuse Pang of not telling the truth…'

Li Zhouwei's meaning was very clear: what does "no need to be stingy" mean? It simply means bribery. The reason he went to such great lengths to bribe the two men was to turn the tables on them!
"It's not difficult to thwart Fu He's plan. The key is to make him completely lose faith in Long Kangyao, pushing the person who wanted to interfere behind the scenes to the opposite side of Long Kangyao and Gu You. Let them understand that someone is pushing Gu Jun and Ming Yang to fight to the death, let them understand who has ill intentions, and who truly holds the knife!"

'We need Fu He to be the first to step forward!'

This is true suppression based on overall momentum, not petty gains or piecemeal countermeasures.

The Li family could even use this as a springboard to reconcile their relationship with Long Kangyao and Gu You, and eventually subdue these potentially subjugated forces, and ultimately bring them under their control!

He smiled and guided the conversation:

“Those who live in their grottoes year-round to cultivate may have aspirations, but when it comes to manipulating situations and leveraging power, how could they possibly be a match for us? After this matter, you will be staying in Gu County for some time, so please be careful!”

Pang Yi, being such a person, nodded slightly and smiled:

"Your Highness need not worry! I, Pang, know what I'm doing!"

Li Jiangqian's open scheme is here. If Pang Yi goes back, he will definitely ruin the Fu family's plan. So what should be done to protect them?

'Of course, it's about sowing discord, making the Fu family and Long Kangyao stand against each other! Otherwise, who will protect me?'

When it comes to cultivating Tao and expounding scriptures, Pang Yi admits he is inferior, but when it comes to sowing discord and using others to do his dirty work, he is second to none... Even the prince in front of him, who has impressed him so much, may not be able to defeat him!
Their black and gold eyes met, and everything was understood without words. Pang Yi simply raised his teacup, placed it in the prince's hand, and said with deep emotion:

“When I was in Chuncheng, the people I worked with were nothing more than Taoist priests who preached scriptures and disdained worldly affairs, or mediocre generals who were both wise and brave but bound by worldly virtues. I have never seen a person like Your Highness before. It is Heaven’s mercy that it did not want me to be alone and without a master, so it made me meet Your Highness!”

Pang Yi, ruthless and unscrupulous, even possessed a docile Daoist title like "Xiao Qing," like a pale-scaled venomous snake, silent and unmoving. Li Jiangqian's eyes were moved, and he sighed:

"And what about me! Changli has followed his father in managing the lake and fighting for many years, but no one has ever seen me understand my heart just by looking at me. Now that I have met Fellow Daoist Pang, I finally have a kindred spirit."

Upon entering the hall, Pang Yi sighed deeply:

"If I didn't have to go back to see Long Kangyao, I would have sworn an oath to never betray Your Highness!"

Li Jiangqian shook his head and said:

"Please take care of yourself. Go to the main hall first to accompany that rogue cultivator to see King Wei and see the situation clearly!"

The tacit understanding between the two was conditional, namely that Gu You had not actually perished. Otherwise, it was hard to say that this prince was using him to scheme against Long Kangyao... In that case, both sides would be offended, and Pang Yi would naturally have no place to be buried. He dared not be careless, politely agreed, and immediately headed towards the main hall.

His father remained silent throughout, allowing his most favored son to decide the future of the Pang family. The old man only walked to the front of the hall, bowed deeply before leaving, and sighed:

"I hope the King of Wei will no longer doubt my father and me!"

Li Jiangqian nodded, put his hands behind his back, and returned to his seat at the head of the table. Smiling, he gazed at the palace gate, the gold in his eyes appearing even deeper in the sunlight. He tapped the armrest lightly, his expression enigmatic, and murmured:

'Why use a virtuous person when you can use a petty person?'

'In the end, petty people are useful... It's just a pity... There are far too few clever and shrewd petty people in this world...'