I am a prince in Zhutian Films

Chapter 520 A Well-Made Plan
evening.

Zhou Cheng'an carried a small sparrow in one hand and a small hawthorn in the other, hurrying through the forest. A strong wind brushed his face, causing his green Taoist robe to flutter in the wind.

It has been seven or eight days since he took over Qingyang Palace. The palace has changed significantly, if not completely transformed. During this time, he took Xiaoshanzha and Xiaoqueer as his disciples.

Soon, the three of them arrived at the edge of the cliff and stepped onto the iron chain bridge between the two cliffs.

This iron chain bridge is made of only nine iron chains as thick as celadon bowls. Excluding the four iron chains for the handrails, there are only five ground cables, making it appear exceptionally narrow and precipitous. Each iron chain is made of iron rings forged from more than a thousand wrought irons and interlocked. Wooden planks are laid on the iron chains, and the bridge abutments are the ground piles and reclining nails that fix the entire iron chain bridge.

According to historical records of Qingcheng Mountain, each earth dragon stake weighed 20,000 jin (approximately 10,000 kg).

Two pavilions stand at either end of the iron chain bridge; the one on the Qingyang Peak side is called Guanyin Pavilion, and the one on the other side is called Tingdeng Pavilion.

Zhou Chengan looked at the opposite mountain peak and had to admit that the mountain scenery was beautiful, and the night view was especially enchanting.

It is said that whenever it rains, there will be a magnificent scene of thousands of lanterns facing the heavens across the river.

At that moment, a wild beast roared from the mountains. The roar was deafening, and the huge roar echoed between the peaks, like thunder or a raging flood.

Little Sparrow and Little Hawthorn both changed their expressions, while Zhou Cheng'an just smiled faintly and said softly, "Let you be arrogant for a while longer."

In the mountains opposite, there lives a strange beast that has lived for hundreds of years, named Hu Kui.

Today, while he was cultivating in the Qingyang Palace, he heard the roar of this beast, so he brought Little Hawthorn and Little Sparrow to take a look.

This tiger-like creature was extremely ferocious, but with Zhou Cheng'an's current cultivation level, subduing it would not be difficult. However, he ultimately did not make a move.

Firstly, he felt that if he were to take action, it would be unfair to Hu Kui.

Furthermore, the beasts should confront the other beasts, but the Fire Qilin is currently in a critical period of advancement, so we still need to wait some time.

As for Hu Kui, he was one of Xu Fengnian's opportunities.

I'm sorry, but when it comes to opportunities, whoever encounters them gets them.

Moreover, not only does the tiger-like creature in the mountains belong to him, but he also wants to snatch the Qilin that Yuan Qingshan, the sect leader of the Northern Wilderness Moral Sect, once subdued with his supreme divine power, so that it can keep his fire Qilin company.

……

Qinglian Garden.

Old Meng and his group were cooking.

Seeing Little Hawthorn and Little Sparrow run in from outside, Old Meng and Liu Luwei quickly called them over.

"Little Hawthorn, how was your training today?"

"Little Sparrow, did you give these to your master for us?"

Little Sparrow nodded, but before she could say anything, Little Hawthorn interrupted her.

"Don't worry, we'll take good care of you every day. Master said that from now on, everyone should live in the palace with peace of mind, cultivate diligently, and just follow his teachings and work hard every day. Of course, you still have to do the work that needs to be done in the palace; you can't just sit around doing nothing."

Upon hearing this, Old Meng laughed and said, "It's really kind of Master Zhou to still think of us. Little Hawthorn and Little Sparrow, you are now Master Zhou's disciples. You are destined for great things. You must follow Master Zhou and learn from him well, do you hear me?"

Little Hawthorn said, "Definitely."

Little Sparrow nodded emphatically and hummed in agreement.

Liu Luweiganzi, who was standing to the side, was probably unhappy that Xiaoshanzha had interrupted his daughter. He pulled Xiaoqueer aside and asked softly, "Xiaoqueer, why are you back so late today? Where did you go with the sect leader?"

"I went to the back mountain with my master."

Little Sparrow had barely begun speaking when Little Hawthorn snatched the spotlight away, excitedly declaring, "Today, Little Sparrow and I really learned something new! We saw a huge monster in the mountains with our master. Good heavens, that monster had six legs, was completely black, and was incredibly powerful!"

Although Liu Luweiganzi disliked Xiaoshanzha always interrupting his daughter, he was also very curious about the monster Xiaoshanzha mentioned, so he simply asked Xiaoshanzha directly to tell him in detail.

……

In the private residence within the inner courtyard of Qingyang Palace, King Qingcheng and his son Wu Shizhen sat facing each other.

Despite her mediocre martial arts skills, Wu Lingsu possessed an ethereal demeanor comparable to that of a Celestial Master from Longhu Mountain. She held the celadon cup lid between two fingers and slowly brought the teacup to her lips.

Unlike his father, Wu Shizhen was not at all calm and composed; he had no interest in drinking tea.

He said with a face full of indignation, "Father, are we really going to hand over Qingyang Palace to you?"

"We already have an emperor emeritus defecating and urinating on our heads, and now there's an even more vicious one. How are we going to live from now on?"

Wu Lingsu slowly took a sip of tea and smiled, "You're still too young and impatient."

"You saw clearly what kind of skill this Master Zhou possessed that day; your mother didn't even have the courage to make a move against him."

“You know who Zhao Yutai is. He never showed any mercy when he attacked us, father and son.”

"So... as long as we get on the good side of the sect leader, we won't have to put up with your mother's attitude anymore. In the future, the Shenxiao Sect will become famous throughout the world, and there will be many benefits for us, father and son."

"This sect leader's abilities are no less than those of Qi Xuanzhen back then. With such a person becoming the sect leader of the Shenxiao Sect, we can be considered to have gotten a bargain. What is there to object to?"

Wu Shizhen paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and said, "Father, do you really believe that he alone can suppress both the Longhu and Wudang lineages?"

Wu Lingsu shook her head and chuckled, "This isn't a matter of belief or disbelief. Right now, do you think you and I, father and son, can handle them?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Shizhen couldn't help but feel somewhat dejected: "No."

"If it can't be done, then we should just let nature take its course."

Wu Lingsu took another sip of tea and smiled meaningfully, "There are people who are even more anxious than us."

"You mean Zhao Yutai?"

Wu Lingsu remained silent, then smiled faintly: "My son, you must understand, whether we worship one emperor emeritus or two, it's still the same."

"With these two great deities protecting us, even if something happens in the future, our Qingyang Palace will be safe and sound."

Wu Shizhen nodded, then said dejectedly, "But that Zhou fellow won't let us practice dual cultivation. Doesn't that cut off our cultivation?"

"Are you stupid? No matter how powerful he is, can he keep an eye on us every day?" Wu Lingsu said leisurely, "From now on, just be more careful."

Wu Shizhen nodded slightly, and a smile finally appeared on his face.

"Yes, son will listen to his father."

Wu Lingsu nodded, put down her teacup, and said with a serious expression, "Now that we, father and son, are in a worse position, we must have the patience to bow our heads. This is not cowardice, but knowing when to yield."

"Shizhen, your father founded the Shenxiao Sect, which was regarded as a huge joke by the major ancestral temples, led by Longhu and Wudang. But hundreds of years later, who will stand tall and who will bow down? Who can say for sure?"

"A cursory glance at the early history of Longhu Wudang reveals that their patriarch was a hundred times more wretched than me, the King of Qingcheng. At least I was granted the title of king and have exclusive access to the blessed land of Qingcheng Mountain. But if this considerable family fortune is to be passed down and compete with other Taoist ancestral temples, it depends on whether you can take on the heavy responsibility first."

"So what if someone surnamed Zhou has arrived? The Shenxiao Sect isn't something he can control just like that."

"Even if we take a step back and let that Zhou guy take control of the Divine Firmament Sect, so what!"

"At most, he might dominate for sixty years like Qi Xuanzhen. As long as our Wu family bloodline remains, the Shenxiao Sect's foundation will still belong to us once he, surnamed Ye, leaves."

"Now, I hope he can be like Qi Xuanzhen and dominate the martial arts world for sixty years. Then, the Shenxiao Sect a hundred years from now will be no less powerful than Longhu and Wudang."

"So, even if it means being a dog for someone like that, I would be willing."

"As long as the Wu family bloodline continues, the Wu family will be the one laughing last!"

It must be said that Wu Lingsu had a very good plan.

Wu Shizhen's eyes widened as he listened, and finally he respectfully said to Wu Lingsu, "I have learned a lot, Father. Rest assured, I will certainly obey your orders."

Wu Lingsu was quite satisfied with his attitude and smiled, "I originally invited you for tea because I was afraid you would do something outrageous and ruin the long-term plan of my Shenxiao Sect. I wanted to give you some advice, and whether you would listen to me depended on the fate of my Qingyang Palace. Now it seems that I was overthinking it. My son is indeed a person who can achieve great things." "It's all thanks to Father's teachings!"

Wu Shizhen laughed from the bottom of his heart.

……

The addition of a new patriarch to Qingyang Palace became an open secret within the Shenxiao Sect.

The existence of this Old Ancestor Zhou was even more terrifying than that of Zhao Yutai, who was burly and had a frightening appearance.

Originally, the only forbidden area of ​​Qingyang Palace was Qiujian Pavilion, where Zhao Yutai lived. Now, the Lingzhi Garden, where this Old Ancestor Zhou lived, has been added.

Normally, the disciples in the palace, especially the female disciples, would lower their heads and walk around Zhou Cheng'an when they saw him.

On one hand, this Old Ancestor Zhou was simply too handsome. In terms of both temperament and appearance, he was the best in Qingyang Palace, like an immortal.

On the other hand, his ruthlessness is also unimaginable.

The combination of these two factors has led to this situation.

Now, the disciples of Qingyang Palace are all talking about how powerful and fierce he is, and they are more afraid of him than respect him.

This situation cannot be changed in a short time, even if he gives orders.

After all, Zhou Cheng'an never thought that once he moved into Qingyang Palace, the entire Shenxiao Sect would listen to him.

However, he doesn't care about these things right now; he just wants to maintain a facade of stability.

Once his strength reaches a new level, and the Blood-Clad Guards arrive at Qingcheng Mountain, the situation will naturally be quite different.

Comparatively speaking, Old Meng and his group, who stayed at Qingyang Palace, integrated quite quickly.

Since they moved into Qingyang Palace, they have lived a comfortable life. They are not ungrateful people, and they do their best in their work in the palace, always eager to do everything.

Over time, the people in Qingyang Palace lost their vigilance and wariness towards them.

Before we knew it, more than a month had passed.

It is the winter solstice.

In the north, there is a custom of eating dumplings on the winter solstice, while in the south, it is customary to eat soup.

So on this day, Old Meng and his men went down the mountain to buy a pig, slaughter it, and make soup.

In the evening, taking advantage of the invitation, Old Meng came to Lingzhi Garden, knocked on Zhou Chengan's door, and muttered something to them.

Zhou Chengan didn't say anything, but just patted him on the shoulder and told him to go and invite the others first.

Seeing this, Old Meng knew that Zhou Cheng'an had a plan, so he went to invite the others.

As for what Old Meng was talking about, it was actually about engaging in illicit dual cultivation with others in the Qingyang Palace.

When Zhou Cheng'an first took over Qingyang Palace, he established a rule that prohibited licentious dual cultivation.

Over the past month, there have been repeated instances of people breaking the rules, with Wu Shizhen being the most outrageous among them.

Every two or three days, he would bring three or five female officials along for some intimate encounters.

Wu Shizhen thought that he would be safe once he ran to the palace, which was far away from his Lingzhi Garden.

Little did they know, everything inside the Qingyang Palace was under Zhou Cheng'an's surveillance.

Whoever it is and what they did, if he wants to know, he will definitely find out.

Wu Shizhen's blatant violation of the rules he set was naturally related to Wu Lingsu.

Wu Lingsu, that old fellow, was also secretly practicing dual cultivation, just not as outrageous as Wu Shizhen.

Zhou Cheng'an was fully aware of these matters, but he hesitated to take action. He felt that if he were to act, he would have to terrify the father and son so that they would never dare to disobey him again.

Therefore, Zhou Chengan had been waiting for the right opportunity.

Moreover, no matter what, Wu Shizhen is Zhao Yutai's son, and Zhao Yutai's opinion should be sought before deciding how to deal with him.

……

In the blink of an eye, another half month has passed.

That day, Zhou Cheng'an was meditating and cultivating in the Listening Lamp Pavilion. The Qi in his body was in a state of flux, booming like thunder.

In the Guanyin Pavilion across the way, Zhao Yutai looked at Zhou Chengan, who was cultivating in the Listening Lamp Pavilion, through the swirling clouds and mist, his eyes filled with undisguised astonishment.

The person was right there, but she couldn't sense their presence at all without using her eyes.

The Northern Liang forces have already mobilized their extensive network to search for Zhou Chengan's identity.

Surprisingly, despite their efforts, the Northern Liang intelligence network came up empty-handed.

It should be understood that with Beiliang's intelligence network, even the most ordinary and insignificant person should have found something, but that is exactly what happened.

Zhou Cheng'an seemed to have appeared out of thin air.

The King of Beiliang sent a message yesterday, telling her to wait and see.

Now that the Northern Liang intelligence network cannot find Zhou Cheng'an's background, Zhao Yutai has become the person closest to Zhou Cheng'an.

Therefore, the task of investigating Zhou Cheng'an's background ultimately fell to Zhao Yutai, who had been observing Zhou Cheng'an intentionally or unintentionally all this time.

Zhou Cheng'an's life was very regular; he did nothing but cultivate, and he spent more time cultivating than anyone else in the Qingyang Palace.

I came to Tingdeng Pavilion after eating the soup on the winter solstice.

For more than half a month, I haven't eaten any food.

This astonished Zhao Yutai, who wondered if there were truly people in the world who could abstain from grains.

Today, she came to the cliffside valley once again to watch Zhou Cheng'an cultivate.

Just then, a thunderclap suddenly boomed in the sky.

Rumble!
Thunder rumbled, shaking the surrounding area.

Zhou Cheng'an, who was sitting in the Listening to the Lamp Pavilion, suddenly opened his eyes. His gaze was like lightning, like two divine rainbows that flashed by in an instant.

His body resounded with a powerful roar, his true energy forming a unified whole, responding to celestial phenomena above and thunder below.

After the thunder roared.

Heavy snow suddenly arrives.

The heavy snow, like goose feathers, fell in abundance, but instead of dispelling the fog, it made it even thicker, adding to the hazy, dreamlike atmosphere of the mountains.

Zhao Yutai stood in the Guanyin Pavilion, showing no intention of leaving.

Zhou Chengan ignored this.

This wasn't Zhao Yutai's first visit today; she'd been showing up from time to time for the past two weeks.

Since she likes to watch it, then let her watch it.

(End of this chapter)