Xuanjian Xianzu

Chapter 1364 Three Questions
It emits brilliant light.

On the radiant mountain of Dayang, lotus blossoms bloomed in abundance. In a small courtyard, soft, misty golden light drifted by, where a monk in yellow robes sat.

He sat steadily with his legs apart, holding a cup of tea in his hand, seemingly lost in thought, and casually remarked:
"In other words... Gu You... will indeed die at his hands."

A monk was kneeling before him. He looked very thin, with his hands clasped together. However, a silver light flickered between his brows, which was quite unique. He had lowered his eyes and spoke very softly.

"Yes...that's how it should be...but..."

He raised his head, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes, and murmured:
"But I think... this time, Gu You probably won't perish."

The seated monk raised an eyebrow and said calmly:

"how you said that?"

Fan Kang has now entered Buddhism and Taoism, and is affiliated with this head of the lamps. His fate is special. Just by being affiliated with him, without having read any scriptures, he quickly obtained the position of compassionate one.

But it was at this moment that he suddenly had an epiphany and regained the divine inspiration!

Awakening from those hallucinations, his face no longer held the confidence and bewilderment of the previous times, but was filled with incomprehensible confusion and unease. His knees, which were kneeling on the ground, shifted slightly, revealing extreme fear.

The scene before him was chaotic and disorganized. In a moment of distraction, it seemed as if the flickering flames were still dancing before his eyes, filling him with both shock and hatred.

It has to be said that compared to that madman Qi Lanyan, this head of the lanterns actually takes better care of him. In this life, Fan Kang offered advice and suggestions from his sleeve, instigating disputes and stirring up huge waves. Regardless of how much he achieved, at least his own life was safe for a short period of time.

The deaths of those powerful figures in Gujun were certainly not unrelated to Fan Kang's methods.

'Unfortunately, the earlier time, I was killed on the spot by Li Zhouwei on the mountain. In my previous life, I realized what had happened and escaped in time, but because of my previous failure, I knew too little about what happened afterward…'

After all the information was dug up, the head of the lamp stopped paying attention to him, but he didn't mistreat him either, leaving him in the Great Desire Path.

During the great war between Yan and Zhao, the temple where he was located was breached, and the bizarre scene of a man stepping into it amidst raging flames still haunted him.

The blazing fire illuminated the temple. Xiao Disa had long since fled, leaving him huddled in the main hall. The golden-eyed youth stepped in, used his golden spear to lift him up, pinned him to a stone statue, and asked him with a smile:

"You are the Su Caiyuan Lianmin, Fan Kang?"

Knowing his life was hanging by a thread, he said in a trembling voice:

"Greetings, Master Changli!"

The young man actually sat down on the stone platform, like an old friend he hadn't seen for many years, and asked him three questions while counting on his fingers.

The first is:
Where are the borders of Wei territory?

He didn't think too much about it, and simply chose the answer from his first life to reply:

"From the east to Qi and Lu, and to the north to Yan and Dai."

The young man seemed to be thinking about something, and then said:

"After the Mingyang syndrome is confirmed, is there any additional metal element?"

His second life had been utterly destroyed; how could he know so much? He was simply afraid of being of no use and being killed by the person before him, yet dared not remain silent, so he said:

"Never seen it before!"

The young man stood up, a cold smile flashing in his eyes. The blazing flames baked every corner of the temple. He lifted the young man up and said:
"Alright, let me ask you this: after the Mingyang Certificate was obtained, is there a hidden realm hidden in Wangyue Lake?"

Fan Kang was still completely clueless about this issue, but following the example of his first life, he put on a brave face and said:
"Have!"

The Immortal Changli was very disappointed. He picked up the terrifying flame and stirred it so that the entire world seemed to spin before his eyes. Fan Kang was so frightened that his soul almost left his body, and he hurriedly said:

"My lord! My lord! Keep me alive! Keep me alive... Just take me back with you, and we can pool our wisdom and offer some suggestions. It will surely be of great benefit to you, my lord!"

But the raging fire didn't stop at all. As death loomed over him, Fan Kang only heard his loud laughter:

"Offering suggestions? You are a cowardly thief, a two-faced person, who only insults my dignity!"

At this moment, these memories flooded back like a tide, making him feel hot all over. This prince asked three questions, none of which were about whether Mingyang could succeed or not. He only asked about the proof. Fan Kang simply did not understand why the other party asked these questions, nor could he understand what this master could understand from them...

He, who had not even completed the Purple Mansion cultivation and had not even experienced any supernatural powers, seemed to have no words to refute this genius's indifferent judgment, leaving him only with a belly full of frustration!

At this moment, it seemed as if that fire still burned within him; these fears and anxieties quickly transformed into boundless rage, and he gritted his teeth, saying:

'Li Jiangqian...you don't believe me...you'll get what's coming to you!'

He was taken aback, but the head of the lantern company misunderstood his meaning, which displeased him greatly, and he sneered inwardly:

'If it weren't for your status as a celestial being, I would have already searched your soul and destroyed your spirit. How dare a stray dog ​​act so arrogantly in front of me!'

The disciple kowtowed and wept, saying:

"Back when I was under Master Qi Lanyan's command, everything went smoothly. But when it came to the crucial moment, there were always unexpected changes. I felt there must be something fishy about it back then, but Qi Lanyan just wouldn't listen to me!"

He said:

"My lord, there must be a Tian Su under the command of the King of Wei!"

"Oh?"

To his surprise, the head of the lamplighter also flashed a hint of disdain in his eyes, looking down at him with an expression that seemed remarkably similar to that of Qi Lanyan back then, and simply said:

"Tian Su? Ridiculous! How do you think that Liu guy became useless? If he hadn't taken a trip on the lake, would he be stuck in the past now, creating a mediocre and brainless treasury? Mingyang is strange, and you, Tian Su, can't possibly predict it all, so it's naturally inappropriate."

Faced with these remarkably similar answers, Fan Kang seemed to have grasped something, but he couldn't extract any conclusion from these extremely similar words that echoed in his mind. He could only raise his head and say what he had said to Qi Lanyan back then:
"That person must be in Songting! Or somewhere else! In any case, there must be such a person!"

His words were resolute.

These words ultimately came from a Heavenly Being, which is to say, in ancient times, because of the promise or words of Heaven, they would have been enough to become an opportunity sought after by thousands, or a shortcut to enlightenment. Especially when the tone was certain, the weight of the words was extremely heavy!
Despite his noble birth and status as one of the top figures on Dayang Mountain, Deng Tou Shou remained silent for a moment, half-believing and half-doubting the assertive judgment of Tian Su Zi.

Fan Kang had already raised his head, his eyes filled with coldness. He took two steps forward, kowtowed twice fiercely before the monk, and said:
"This disciple swears to the Buddha! There are definitely traces of Tian Su on the King of Wei! I am not the only one who doubts this matter; there may be others testing him. This disciple asks for nothing more than that if Gu You is indeed not dead, or if the great battle on the lake is resolved, I beg Master not to doubt this disciple from now on!"

The head of the lamp gazed at him for a long time. As one of the top figures of Dayang Mountain and a senior minister of the Manifestation Dharma, he naturally knew that Fu Tan Guan was about to descend the mountain and roughly understood the arrangements here.

He spoke in a low voice after a long silence:
"Then let's take a look!"

"Thank you Master!"

Fan Kang kowtowed twice fiercely. The ruthless poison and the surging fighting spirit finally filled his body again. Various thoughts flashed through his mind, becoming increasingly complex.

"During the last Heavenly Sensation, you tricked me, leading to my hasty death at the hands of the King of Wei. I lost countless opportunities to gather information, which is why I've been so inactive lately. This time, it won't be like that… Having escaped that near-death experience, I've seen far too much this time!"

He raised his head and looked south, as if gazing at his opponent on the lake:

'Anyway, I won't really die...anyway, I can start over...all of you...you all looked down on me, but the situation is different now, just you wait!'

……

"King Wei..."

A dazzling ray of light leaped down from the other side of the sky, quickly manifesting above the pass. The man in black stepped forward, descending through the void. Those below bowed their heads, while Li Jiangqian stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting.
"Father!"

Li Zhouwei let out a soft breath, his expression revealing no change in mood. He looked around and said:
"All of you, return to your posts."

He did not elaborate on the outcome of the negotiations. Even though the True Immortals guarding the city wall were anxious and restless, they did not ask him properly and instead retreated with their flowing light.

Li Zhouwei walked steadily and quickly into the main hall. Li Jiangqian and Li Ximing entered together. Only after the hall doors were closed did Li Jiangqian bow and hesitate before saying:
“Father… I see that Chuncheng is flooded, and there are not many signs of fighting, but I’m afraid there are many variables. It won’t be good for the time being.”

Li Zhouwei nodded. He hadn't returned quickly and had noticed quite a bit about the situation in the sky. He said:
"Gu You and Long Kangyao are furious. The two families are now at odds, and the important matter is about to be resolved!"

The young man in the crimson robe was not surprised, and simply smiled:
"That's only right. Pang Yi, in order to protect himself, would naturally want the two families to become increasingly estranged. This man is a complete scoundrel, treacherous and wicked beyond measure, stirring up trouble. He has the wicked schemes to usurp power but no ability to control them. Putting him here is just right, and we don't have to worry about him causing any trouble!"

In retrospect, the current situation is not much worse than easily conquering Chuncheng, Li Zhouwei praised:

"That's true. Without this father and son, the results might not have been as good as they are now. At most, it would have made them suspicious, but it wouldn't have led to a complete break. Once the matter is settled, we will reward them handsomely."

His eyes held both joy and regret as he shook his head and said:

"This matter ends here, and it's already a very good ending."

Although he coveted that fragment, he also knew the importance of proceeding slowly and steadily. Moreover, he had thought things through carefully and had already prepared other means to obtain it. If he didn't attack now, he might still be able to get it!
Then he turned around and said seriously:

"The rest is up to Uncle."

Li Ximing nodded with considerable admiration.

The reason for leaving behind Gu You's many treasures was certainly to provoke Long Kangyao, but more importantly, it was to create opportunities and conditions for Li Ximing to penetrate Chuncheng and conduct negotiations!
'Now we don't need to fight our way in; we can talk our way in!'

Li Zhouwei's bargaining chips are exceptionally rich, far beyond the treasures on Gu You's body, including the county city, the spirit array, and the four passes of Gu County, which are under his control!

'We're all going to leave anyway, and these places will eventually have to be returned to them; the only question is how.'

Li Zhouwei disdained looting, destroying formations and cities. After all, these formations were the accumulation of aristocratic families over thousands of years. Each formation would be a pass on which he would consolidate his territory. If he destroyed them today, he could occupy them again tomorrow. What would he use to defend them then?

Therefore, Li Zhouwei's fight in Gu County was nothing more than a forced act, destroying Jiaoshan, the weakest of the three.

He lowered his voice and said calmly:
'We can give up everything and return it all to the Gu County, ensuring their safety to the greatest extent possible while I'm gone... and such generous terms will naturally come in exchange for something good from Long Kangyao...'

It's as if Li Zhouwei and his group have already seized all of Gu County's property, but they have to leave temporarily and just entrust it to them for safekeeping. They can still get what they want in return, so why not?
The King of Wei said quietly:
'Long Kangyao prides himself on his divine status, yet he's been schemed against like this. I doubt he has any real backing. Bu Zaotian's reputation is probably more hype than substance; he relies solely on his ancestors' names.'

He reminded:

"The glory of our ancestors is truly the shield for the lives of everyone in the Longkang family, far more valuable than personal gain or loss. Such a person would rather sacrifice substance than reputation, and would never endure humiliation... Thus, in ancient times there was the feast held in the tomb of Wanling, and today there is the act of drawing a knife and bleeding in the sun—all are merely drinking poison to quench thirst, things done only out of necessity."

Li Jiangqian praised and echoed.

'Those who are truly capable, like Jin Yi, don't care if their scheme fails. They're the ones who lose face anyway. With the powerful figure behind them, their reputation is countless. They can easily sacrifice their reputation to protect their substance, or simply disappear and ignore you all. Who would dare drag them down with them?'

"If Uncle goes, he is willing to exchange it for peace across the four borders. Since Long Kangyao has intervened, the dignity of Chuncheng is his dignity. To preserve his honor, he will not hesitate to spend lavishly!"

Li Ximing nodded secretly. The King of Wei didn't say anything more, but everyone understood:
'We just need to see what level of treasure is in that box, and whether we can find out if he's qualified to take it!'

Li Zhouwei hesitated for a moment, then said:

“I need someone to go with you… I originally preferred Wu Miao, but although that guy is shameless and has a silver tongue, he's too brazen and can't stand up to Long Kangyao… But there's another one…”

Li Jiangqian hesitated slightly, listening to his father say:
Chang Yun.

Li Zhouwei's victory has temporarily brought quite a few people under his command, but this person is not easy to find. Chang Yun may seem like a rogue cultivator, but in reality, he has profound knowledge and background.

'More importantly, since Taiyuan might be connected to the master of Wenhuang Residence, Taihong Zhenjun, bringing Chang Yun along and having a conversation with him might yield some information, or even allow us to use this opportunity to our advantage!'

Li Ximing had a premonition; upon hearing the name, he nodded thoughtfully, bowed, and left. Only then did Li Jiangqian say:

"Right now, we..."

Li Zhouwei said:

"We can't act rashly. We should first suppress our supernatural powers on the Second Pass. Only then can we have a better chance of negotiating with your Uncle Gong. Now that the crisis in Gu County has been resolved, neither Gu You nor Long Kangyao have the face to come out of the city to challenge us again. Even if another Grand Master appears, it will only add another bargaining chip."

"As for me……"

He rose from his seat and walked step by step out of the hall. A cold glint finally appeared in his eyes. He clapped his hands, strolled down the steps, and said indifferently:
"I'm going to see Yang Ruiyi."

(End of this chapter)