The stolen magic is a bit magical

In Lanzhou, there is a giant lake called Tianji Lake. The waters of Tianji Lake nourish the land of Lanzhou, turning this desolate grassland into a Jiangnan-like landscape beyond the Great Wall.

However, that is history.

Lanzhou is currently facing a more difficult situation than any other prefecture in northern China.

At the northernmost point, bordering the Yan state, lies Zheyuntai. Years of war have caused the population to gradually move south.

The western part, which was originally the most prosperous area of ​​Lanzhou, has been eroded by the deadly poisonous Nightmare Grass, making half of the prefecture uninhabitable.

As a result, almost everyone in Lanzhou crowded into an area no more than 500 li east of Ningcheng.

A local poet wrote: "Of the past, only half of Jiangnan remains; I wonder if the heavens are saddened."

The poet was imprisoned in Ningcheng Prison on charges of defaming His Majesty.

Objectively speaking, this is indeed an allusion to His Majesty; the "Heavenly Father" in his poem refers to His Majesty.

These were the words that Qingying told Lin Xiaosu from high above.

She pointed to the giant lake in front of her and said, "That is Tianji Lake, which was once controlled by the Thousand Poisons Sect. Now it has become a poisonous lake."

Lin Xiaosu's Heavenly Eyes pierced through the sky, and the lake below seemed to suddenly appear closer. The lake water was free of impurities and looked clear and transparent. However, even he was surprised by the toxicity of the water under his primordial spirit's perception. It was extraordinary, almost equivalent to the water in "that place" during the long night.

The water in "that place" during the long night was terrifying. In the entire Great Xia Realm, probably only he dared to taste it that day. Moreover, during the tasting, Changye nervously monitored the entire process, the kind of person who would kick him in if anything went wrong...

Here, there is a lake of water of the same level.

Even more terrifying is that there are fish and various other creatures in the lake, some of which are extremely bizarre.

This is not a creature that grows in nature.

This is a poison cultivated by the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.

This is the terrifying aspect of the Poison Sect: they can easily alter the ecosystem, making a place unsuitable for all things, with only themselves being suitable for growth!

Without resorting to violence, one can still be extremely powerful and dominate half of the state.

The Nightmare Grass below grows in patches, and it can be found wherever there is soil.

However, there is one exception.

It was a barren hill that looked quite ordinary.

Nightmare grass had already surrounded the area for more than ten miles around that barren hill, but there was no grass on the hill itself, which made it seem particularly peculiar given that the area was covered with Nightmare grass.

"Where is that?" Lin Xiaosu gently raised her hand and pointed to the barren hill.

Qingying said, "There's a somewhat tragic story there, about a prefect from ten years ago..."

The prefect in that period was surnamed He and named He Zhengdao.

As his name suggests, he was an honest and upright official who followed the right path.

When the Nightmare Grass invaded and poisonous creatures ran rampant, he led the state troops to confront the Thousand Poisons Sect head-on, pointing the finger at the sect for releasing poison and urging the court to send troops to suppress it. However, at that time, the Crown Prince was the regent, and the court turned a blind eye to the matter.

The prefect was also poisoned beyond cure. On his deathbed, he left behind a shocking last message: he wanted to be buried in this desolate hill so that he could witness the destruction of the Thousand Poisons Sect even in the afterlife.

So he was buried here.

On the day of the burial, it was drizzling in autumn, and people said that the heavens were weeping.

The streets were deserted as everyone lined up to bid farewell to the prefect.

After his burial, countless people came to pay their respects every year during the Lantern Festival and Qingming Festival. As time passed, the desolate hill was gradually surrounded by nightmare grass. However, the local people risked great danger to clear the nightmare grass. They would not allow this evil grass to grow on the grave of this good official.

People die every time they try to clear the Nightmare Grass.

But no matter how many people died, the stubborn villagers continued to flock to the flame like moths to a flame...

Qingying spoke with a hint of sadness.

Her father had also aspired to be a good official, and his sentiment on that day was: if the people could offer him incense every year after his death, he would be satisfied.

Unfortunately, my father did not receive this treatment.

Because her father was framed by the former crown prince and his body was thrown into a mass grave, he has not yet been exonerated and there is no memorial tablet for him to pay respects. In fact, her father's high position as prime minister was too far removed from the people. Even if there were a memorial tablet, the people would not know what kind of person this deceased prime minister was...

"Let's go down and take a look!" Lin Xiaosu took a step and landed on the barren hill.

There was only a mound of earth in front of us.

There is no tombstone.

However, on the blue stone in front, there is a line of blood-red characters: Tomb of the late Prefect He Zhengdao.

The large, blood-red characters, devoid of any calligraphic foundation, were clearly carved by ordinary people.

Qingying said, “I’ve been here before and met a villager who was weeding. He said that after the prefect died, the government erected a tombstone, but it was pulled up and thrown into the lake. So the villagers carved his tombstone on this stone, pricking their fingers and bleeding, which formed the blood monument we see today.”

“This blood is still fresh!” Hu Ji said.

“Yesterday was the Lantern Festival, and obviously some villagers came here to burn paper money. The bloodstains were probably added by them!” Lin Xiaosu pointed to a large pile of paper ash on the ground.

"It seems this prefect is truly a good official," Hu Ji remarked.

Qingying said, "The officialdom in Lanzhou is very strange. In ordinary places, where people live in such a poor state, there would definitely be conflicts between officials and the people. However, in Lanzhou, no matter how miserable the people are, they are still grateful to the officials."

Lin Xiaosu said, "Because all the officials are showing hostility towards the Thousand Poisons Sect?"

“Yes, in addition, the Lanzhou officials are very close to Prince Lanning. They basically follow his lead. Prince Lanning is a savior to all the families in Lanzhou, and the entire officialdom is regarded as a reliable person by the people,” Qingying said.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "However, it was this group of reliable people who, over the past ten years, allowed the Thousand Poisons Sect to use Nightmare Grass to invade their homes, leaving them homeless and their families destroyed!"

Qingying was slightly startled: "My lord, are you sure this herb is really cultivated by the Thousand Poisons Sect?"

"This poisonous herb is not a naturally growing poisonous herb; there are extremely mysterious traces of human intervention within it!" Lin Xiaosu said.

Signs of human intervention...

In another world, it's called genetic engineering.

Genetic modification isn't limited to animals; it can be done on plants as well.

Even genetic modification of plants is more common.

However, typical plant genetic modification involves the hybridization and fusion of two or more plants to create new genes.

This Nightmare Grass is not a simple plant gene fusion mutation; it is a combination of plant and animal.

The Nightmare Grass's rapid expansion is due to its combination of plant and animal characteristics.

Such incredible methods are beyond the reach of ordinary research institutions.

Only the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect, renowned for its poisons, possesses such heaven-defying methods...

Therefore, Lin Xiaosu could tell at a glance that the Nightmare Grass, which was the subject of endless debate, was not a natural product, but a species carefully cultivated by the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect.

Furthermore, he was perfectly clear-headed.

Regarding the officialdom in Lanzhou, and about that Prince Lanning...

Qingying is right. In most places, when people's lives are a mess, they always blame the government. But Lanzhou is an exception. The people here have it harder than people anywhere else, but they trust the government a lot.

why?
Because in the past, there were respectable and virtuous officials like He Zhengdao who gave their lives on this land.

Later came the Prince of Lanning, a Buddha who brought blessings to all families.

The officials in Lanzhou were subordinates of Prince Lanning, and out of affection for him, they were naturally also loved and respected by him.

But ironically...

All of this is very likely designed.

Taking advantage of the government's inaction, the Thousand Poisons Sect successfully seized half of Lanzhou.

The Prince of Lanning cured the people of their poison with a drop of water called "Worry-Free Spring," thus becoming a living Buddha to all families. Even the officials in Lanzhou were praised for his good deeds by the people...

Does this count as mutually fulfilling each other?

"My lord, where shall we begin?" Qingying asked.

"Let's go pay a visit to this Prince Lanning!" Lin Xiaosu stepped into the air, and the three of them simultaneously passed through the Nightmare Grass shrouded in poisonous gas and shot into the sky.

The next moment, it landed in the east of the ancient city of Lanning, where there was a waterside pavilion and singing stage that perfectly matched the style of Jiangnan, the Lanning Prince Hongdong's Lanning Prince's Mansion, and the Lingquan Valley under the jurisdiction of the Prince's Mansion.

The Prince of Lanning's Mansion is not located in Lanning City.

It's in the suburbs, but the environment is something that people create.

Wherever the Prince of Lanning is, that is the center of the city.

Brothels were built here, commercial streets were built here, teahouses and music halls were built here.

With a high density of people, this place becomes exceptionally bustling.

Why is the population density so high?
Because Lanzhou is squeezed from all sides, its original million square kilometers of land has been reduced to only one-third. How can the density not be high?

"It's still very prosperous here!" The woman looked around, and the little white rabbit in her arms was also looking around.

See, this is the guiding role it plays in people's lives.

Those who are unaware of the inside story will have an immediate impression of prosperity upon arriving here.

This is the fundamental reason why people from the capital who enter Lanzhou often mention the city's prosperity upon their return, and it's also why the Prince of Lanning's reputation in the desolate capital is getting better and better...

Upon arriving at the gate of the Prince's Mansion, Lin Xiaosu gave a wink, and Qingying stepped forward and knocked on the door.

The inner door opened, and a gatekeeper poked his head out: "What can I do for you, young lady?"

"My lord wishes to see Your Highness. I wonder if Your Highness is able to grant him an audience?" Qingying bowed slightly.

The gatekeeper's face immediately lit up: "My lord...may I ask which lord you are?"

"Lord Xueyi!" The side door opened wide, and an old man strode out, approaching Lin Xiaosu and bowing deeply: "Lord, you have come from afar. Please enter the main building and rest. I will immediately inform my master!"

"Thank you for your trouble!" Lin Xiaosu said.

Soon, the group hurried through the passage and arrived in front of Lin Xiaosu: "My lord, my master is waiting for me at Jingxian Pavilion!"

As Lin Xiaosu followed several managers into Jingxian Pavilion, she saw a dashing figure on the pavilion from afar.

Prince Lan Ning, the second among the princes, is over forty years old, but he is a cultivator and has reached the Enlightenment Realm. He looks younger than the seventh prince.

Upon seeing Lin Xiaosu approaching, Prince Lanning descended the steps and greeted her with a smile.

"Lord Su Lin of Snow Robe greets Your Highness!" Lin Xiaosu bowed.

Lan Ningwang returned the greeting: "I have long heard of Xueyi Hou's youthful charm, but I never imagined he would be so dashing and handsome."

"Your Highness is too kind!"

Prince Lanning said, "Please come into the chamber for a talk."

"Your Highness, please..."

The group entered the pavilion and sat down according to their status as guests and hosts. Qingying also had a seat; she and Hu Ji sat behind Lin Xiaosu.

Prince Lanning raised his teacup and laughed: "When Marquis Xueyi went to Jiangnan, I drank wine with the Marquis's heroic spirit every day, and got drunk several times."

"How dare I accept such an honor! How dare I accept such an honor!" Lin Xiaosu said, "I have long admired Your Highness's virtuous reputation in the capital, but only after personally visiting Lanzhou today have I realized that these words are indeed true."

For a time, officials were fawning over each other...

Behind the Prince's Mansion lies a canyon, and in the center of the canyon is a sacred spring.

Beside the spring, there is a wooden house, which serves as a railing, cleverly cutting off a five-foot square section of the clear pool.

At the bottom of the pool, a woman sat cross-legged in the spring water. The light veil on her body swayed gently in the water, and her beautiful body beneath the veil was almost naked. However, this alluring posture did not embody seduction, but rather holiness.

Because she is the ninth holy maiden of the Heavenly Capital, and also the ninth princess of the dynasty, Princess Shanling.

She came here because of Lin Xiaosu.

She's purely "indebted"...

On the day Lin Xiaosu went to Jiangnan, she used the Heavenly Capital Immortal Realm Technique to spy on him, intending to capture some of his military strategies. Unexpectedly, she captured an extremely unsavory scene: this old scoundrel, oh no, this little scoundrel, was having a great time with his page in the cabin. The unsavory scene immediately caused her Immortal Mirror Technique to fail.

She cleansed her eyes in Moon Lake using the essence of the water, a process that took seven days.

After the Mirror of Immortality was restored, she spied on Lin Xiaosu once again.

She was still aware of her safety that time, avoiding Lin Xiaosu and Fufu's cabin and instead focusing her attention on Lin Xiaosu and Kuanglang. In her mind, this tall general didn't act like a woman, so surely there wouldn't be another embarrassing scene like that.

Therefore, she felt completely at ease spying on Lin Xiaosu and Kuanglang.

Unexpectedly, she witnessed the shamelessness of this little slut once again.

He directly engaged the mad wolf in the cave.

This scene was a hundred times more stimulating than when he "hand-picked" Fufu that day. To avoid being discovered, Princess Shining forcibly activated "Human-Mirror Integration," which caused great trouble. The scene was recorded in her mind from every angle, forming the strongest stain on her purity...

The essence of Moon Lake water cannot treat this level of pollution.

Only the second prince's Worry-Free Spring can cure this.

So she rushed to Lanzhou and stayed in that little house for more than a month.

The Worry-Free Spring was indeed effective; her Immortal Mirror Technique was restored, even stronger than before. She could now enter the state of oneness with the mirror at any time, which could be considered a blessing in disguise.

However, her hatred for that Snow-Clad Marquis grew stronger every day.

Damn it, he went down to Jiangnan, got promoted two ranks, became the Marquis of Snow Robes, and even got the title of God of War. And what did I get? Nothing from my trip down Jiangnan! I was busy washing my eyes…

You bastard, don't let me run into you again, or I'll risk getting a beating from my father just to teach you a lesson first...

Just then, the door to the cabin suddenly opened.

A maid appeared by the pond, and a voice drifted into the depths of the water: "Your Highness, Marquis Xueyi has arrived!"

boom!
The pool water rippled, and Princess Shining rose from the bottom of the pool.

While still in mid-air, her clothes dried instantly, and her eyes were full of confusion: "Su Lin, you've come to Lanzhou?"

"Yes! I'm having tea with the Prince at Jingxian Pavilion."

“Jingxian Pavilion? Second Brother actually opened Jingxian Pavilion to welcome him? What does the word 'Xian' have to do with him?” Princess Shanling’s face was full of black lines.

"The prince is unaware of his reckless actions..." The maid blushed slightly. "This servant believes that it is only proper etiquette for the prince to greet a marquis who has traveled thousands of miles to come here. Would Your Highness like to go and see him?"

"See him? Who does he think he is..." Princess Flash gritted her teeth, her eyes darting around. "Let's see him first!"

"Yes, Your Highness can rest assured and watch with confidence this time. There is absolutely no way that such a thing could happen in Jingxian Pavilion..." The maid's face was flushed.

Of course!

Princess Shining raised her hands, forming a heart shape.

The pattern that appeared in the Worry-Free Spring was Lin Xiaosu and the two beautiful women behind him.

"Bringing women again, that bastard..." Princess Flash said, "Who are they?"

"This woman in black is his close attendant, named Qingying. In the future, when the princess wants to see him, she should avoid seeing him with Qingying. As for this woman, she is fine. She is a legendary figure from Qingqiu, named Hu Ji. She was already famous throughout the world three thousand years ago, so she is considered a senior figure," the maid said.

Princess Shining nodded gently.

Overall, she was satisfied with the maid.

Because this maid has a wide range of knowledge, and she has experience and insights into the martial arts world.

What she said makes a lot of sense.

Qingying was his personal attendant. This guy even laid hands on his pageboys. A personal attendant was practically equivalent to a concubine. It would be strange if he didn't do that, but doing it was not surprising at all.

Therefore, if you ever want to spy on him, you must never watch him with this attendant in the room.

As for this woman named Hu Ji, she's fine.

People from three thousand years ago, they were truly ancient ancestors.

Even if someone has no bottom line, surely they wouldn't go so far as to attack even veterans?

Yes, target identified. Focus on investigating the scenes of him with this senior figure. Experience tells her that if he is on an inspection tour of the north and has any secret operations, it will definitely be reflected in his interactions with this senior figure.

In the Jingxian Pavilion, after exchanging pleasantries and the usual bureaucratic flattery, Lin Xiaosu and the Prince of Lanning got down to business.

Lin Xiaosu spoke up: "Your Highness is in Lanzhou, I wonder what your opinion is of the Thousand Poisons Sect?"

King Lanning sighed deeply: "Although I have always believed in being kind to my neighbors, I still have to say that this neighbor is... a wicked neighbor! They always say that poison is just a means for them. When judging people and things, one should not look at the means they possess, but at their actions. However, judging from their actions, this clan is lax in its discipline and does not strictly control its subordinates, which has led to frequent disputes with the local people over the years. I have seen this and it pains me to the core."

Lin Xiaosu said, "Has Your Highness considered that their patriarchal system might not be lax? Perhaps it is extremely strict?"

"The Marquis actually defended him?" Prince Lanning's expression darkened slightly.

Lin Xiaosu smiled faintly: "Your Highness has misunderstood me. I believe that the Thousand Poisons Sect is not lax in its sect laws. On the contrary, their sect laws are extremely strict. However, their goal is to invade the entire Lanzhou, and all their actions are driven by this goal."

"To seize the entire Lanzhou?" Prince Lanning pondered. "Is Your Excellency exaggerating? You must know that there are still seventy million people in Lanzhou, and there is still me. No matter who tries to enslave seventy million elders, I will not allow it! Nor will the seventy million elders allow it!"

"I've checked the data. Ten years ago, Lanzhou had a population of 120 million, but in just ten years, only 70 million remain!" Lin Xiaosu said. "May I ask Your Highness, did you agree to the disappearance of nearly half the population? What about the people of Lanzhou? Did they agree? Or, to put it another way, does the Thousand Poisons Sect need your permission?"

These words were incredibly sharp!

Prince Lanning's face was extremely gloomy: "What does Your Excellency mean?"

"My meaning is very simple! Faced with the life-or-death situation of Lanzhou, the slogan of 'yes or no' is actually quite ironic," Lin Xiaosu said. "I wonder if Your Highness is willing to work with me to do something concrete and completely end this chaotic situation of encroachment?"

An extremely pointed question.

A characterization of a slogan.

Lin Xiaosu showed no courtesy whatsoever to this prince.

But the final suggestion is one that no one can refuse: to do something concrete to end this chaos.

Prince Lan Ning slowly raised his head: "What does Your Excellency wish to do?"

"I would like to invite the head of the Thousand Poisons Sect to Ningcheng to discuss with Your Highness and myself a practical plan to completely stop the spread of Nightmare Grass."

Lan Ningwang's brows furrowed slowly: "Didn't you just conclude that this herb was created by the Thousand Poisons Sect? Under such circumstances, would they cooperate with me and you to stop the Nightmare Grass from spreading?"

"Not cooperating?" Lin Xiaosu chuckled. "When I went down to Jiangnan, I directly offered the sects the condition of clearing out all private businesses. Were they willing to cooperate? In the end, which one didn't? This world is full of cheapskates! If they won't listen to reason, what's wrong with punishing them with three cups?"

He said this with a smile.

However, everyone in Jingxian Pavilion was completely silent.

Because the person who said this has already demonstrated his commitment to keeping his word by making a spectacular trip to the south of the Yangtze River.

When he went south of the Yangtze River, which of his goals did not infringe upon the interests of those sects?

Which one would people be willing to cooperate with?
However, those who do not cooperate will have their entire sect wiped out. As for the rest, they will have to weigh the pros and cons and agree whether they want to or not. Otherwise, it will prove his famous saying: "If you don't want to be dignified, I will help you be dignified!"
The Prince of Lanning slowly raised his gaze, seemingly looking through the distant ancient city of Lanning to the even more distant Tianji Lake. He slowly said, "Does the Marquis know who is behind the Thousand Poisons Sect?"

"Just the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect!" Lin Xiaosu said.

"One of the Six Paths and Nine Gates, in the Marquis's words, is it merely 'nothing more'?"

Lin Xiaosu laughed: "Does Your Highness know who is behind Cold Moon Valley? Who is behind the Demon Emperor's Palace? When I drew my sword against Cold Moon Valley, did I ever consider Tiandu? When I destroyed the Demon Emperor's Palace, did I ever consider the Demon Gate? I didn't even consider Tiandu, the head of the 'Three Sects,' so why do you think I should consider the Ten Thousand Poisons Gate, one of the 'Nine Gates'?"

Prince Lan Ning slowly said, "I deeply admire your lofty aspirations, Your Excellency. This decision is made."

"It's decided!"

Lan Ningwang slowly raised his gaze, looking at a clerk beside him: "Clerk, let's decide on a meeting place!" (End of Chapter)