Under One Person: Starting from the Inheritance of Gods

Chapter 452 The Prince Replaced by a Civet Cat: First Visit to the Northern Liang Prefecture

Jun Tian smiled slightly: "It's alright. I can temporarily hand over the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag to you to conceal the secrets of heaven. With the added blessing of the True Martial rank and the destiny of heaven, the Heavenly Dao in the Snow should be unable to see through it."

"You only need to act according to the plan, gradually take control of Beiliang, win over the hearts of the people, and finally use the authority of this realm to give back to Juntian Realm, helping me to completely control this realm!"

Meng Fan then spoke up, saying, "Fan Xian, this matter is of great importance. You must be extremely careful, proceed step by step, and take steady steps. But you don't need to be too restrained. You can use all the talents in the Juntian Realm."

Fan Xian took a deep breath, a determined look flashing in his eyes, and immediately clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Fan Xian will certainly live up to the trust placed in him by the Heavenly Dao Venerable and Lord Juntian!"

Meng Fan nodded, then looked at Jun Tian: "Let's begin."

Jun Tian raised his hand, and the True Martial Rank and the White Dragon's Luck appeared in his palm. In addition, there was Xu Xiao's Butcher Luck. He flicked his finger, and three streams of light instantly entered Fan Xian's body.

"boom!"

Fan Xian felt a vast power surge into his limbs and bones, as if his soul had been cleansed and sublimated. The True Martial Dharma Image faintly appeared behind him, with a tortoise and snake coiled around it, majestic and solemn.

At the same time, his appearance and temperament began to change subtly, gradually becoming identical to Xu Fengnian, and even his bloodline aura was no different.

However, a hint of ruthlessness and maturity had appeared between his brows. It was normal for Xu Fengnian to have grown during his three years of travel.

With another wave of his hand, Jun Tian conjured up a set of fine clothes befitting the heir of Beiliang, with a sword at his waist, exuding an imposing and heroic aura.

“From this moment on, you are Xu Fengnian,” Jun Tian said calmly.

Fan Xian sensed the power of his status and destiny within his body, his eyes gleaming. He cupped his hands and said, "Rest assured, Lord Juntian, I will make the Snow World a possession of the Juntian Realm!"

"No rush, there's someone else for you!"

With another wave of his hand, Juntian brought about a rebirth, and Old Huang reappeared. He bowed to Fan Xian and said, "Old Huang greets Young Master."

Meng Fan smiled with satisfaction: "In this way, it is now complete and flawless. Go."

With a flick of his sleeve, Jun Tian sent Fan Xian's figure vanishing into the starry sky.

The valiant swordsman roams the world amidst the snow, in the Northern Liang royal palace.

The bloodstains on the training ground had not yet dried, the corpses of the Northern Liang soldiers lay strewn about, and the entire palace was shrouded in grief and despair.

Chen Zhibao was devastated. Holding a plum wine spear, he knelt on the ground, staring at Xu Xiao's corpse with bloodshot eyes.

The Protector-General of Northern Liang was trembling all over, the tip of his spear deeply embedded in the blue brick, cracks spreading like a spider web.

"Report——!"

A scout staggered in, his voice hoarse: "General Chen, the Crown Prince has been spotted thirty miles outside the city!"

Chen Zhibao suddenly looked up, his eyes flashing with a childlike glint: "What did you say?!"

The official road outside Liangzhou City.

Xu Fengnian, dressed in white, rode slowly, followed by an old servant with a missing front tooth and an ancient long sword hanging at his waist.

Old Huang held the horse's reins, muttering, "Young master, we're finally back from this trip."

Fan Xian, now completely transformed into Xu Fengnian, gently stroked the sword at his waist, gazing at the towering city wall in the distance, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.

"Old Huang," he suddenly spoke, "do you think these 300,000 iron cavalry of Beiliang recognize the banner of the King Xu, or me, Xu Fengnian?"

Old Huang grinned, revealing his signature missing tooth: "That depends on whether Young Master can keep the royal flag flying over Tingchao Pavilion."

The sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached, and over a hundred cavalrymen emerged from the dust. The leading general dismounted, revealing himself to be Chu Lushan, his face streaked with tears: "Your Highness! It really is you!"

Fan Xian immediately dismounted and feigned confusion, asking, "Lu Qiu'er, what is this...?"

"Your Highness," Chu Lushan said, his eyes brimming with tears, "please, Your Highness, return to the Prince's Palace immediately!"

Fan Xian's expression changed drastically, and he staggered back two steps, only managing to stay upright thanks to Lao Huang's support. His lips trembled, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "Take me back."

As the convoy entered the city gate, Fan Xian peeked through the gaps in the carriage curtains and saw that the streets were lined with kneeling people. Some white-haired elders were holding Xu Xiao's memorial tablet and wailing, while some young children were following the adults in their bewildered kowtows.

The Northern Liang royal palace was brightly lit by candlelight.

Inside the room, the six adopted sons and the core generals of Beiliang stood on either side. In the middle, Xu Longxiang was crying hysterically, dressed in mourning clothes and burning paper money for Xu Xiao.

Chen Zhibao stood at the head of the group, his hand on his sword, his eyes piercingly cold. The moment Fan Xian stepped across the threshold, more than ten pairs of eyes shot towards him like knives.

Fan Xian stood at the threshold, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone in the room. His face was pale, and his body trembled slightly, clearly showing signs of grief at the loss of a loved one.

"elder brother!"

Xu Longxiang was the first to step forward, his voice choked with emotion.

Chen Zhibao stepped forward, reaching out to stop Xu Fengnian, and said coldly, "Wait!"

The room fell silent.

Old Huang squinted, his missing front tooth slightly parted, and his hand was already on the sword box.

Fan Xian raised his hand to stop Lao Huang and looked directly at Chen Zhibao: "Chen Zhibao, what do you mean by this?"

"The young master has been traveling for three years without returning, and then he suddenly appears not long after the prince's murder. It's too much of a coincidence!"

Chen Zhibao stared intently at Xu Fengnian and said, "I'll just ask you one question: are you the heir apparent?"

Chu Lushan slammed his fist on the table and stood up: "Chen Zhibao! You!"

"Lu Qiu'er".

Fan Xian gave a soft shout, stepped forward slowly, and asked, "What do you mean?"

Chen Zhibao said sadly, "My godfather's death is suspicious. The Northern Liang Royal Palace is full of experts. Ordinary people simply cannot succeed. There are very few people in the world with such abilities, or even almost none. The identity of that thief is the biggest mystery."

"Furthermore, the Crown Prince's return is too coincidental. I fear that someone is deliberately trying to cause internal strife in Northern Liang..."

Fan Xian's eyes reddened with grief, his acting was so natural and brilliant, as he questioned, "Do you suspect that I would collude with outsiders to kill my own father?"

"Don't dare!"

"I'm just afraid that someone with ulterior motives might cause trouble."

Chen Zhibao said, "Now that my adoptive father is dead, the 300,000 Northern Liang cavalry are leaderless. If a traitor is skilled in disguise and bone-altering techniques and impersonates the heir, then the 300,000 Northern Liang cavalry will be in the hands of others."

"As the Protector-General of Northern Liang, I must ensure that the military power of Northern Liang does not fall into the hands of treacherous people!"

Before he finished speaking, Chen Zhibao suddenly drew his sword, the blade pointing directly at Fan Xian's throat!
"Zheng——"

Old Huang's sword case opened with a sound, and several ancient swords floated in the air, their sword energy crisscrossing and blocking all of Chen Zhibao's sword attacks.

The atmosphere inside the room instantly became tense, with generals like Yuan Zuozong and Qi Dangguo rising to their feet, their hands on their sword hilts. Fan Xian, however, raised his hand to signal everyone to calm down. He calmly looked at Chen Zhibao and slowly said, "How do you want me to prove it?"

Chen Zhibao said coldly, "When the young prince was young, he and I buried a jar of plum wine next to the Listening Tide Pavilion. No one but the two of us knows about this. If you are truly the young prince, you should know where the wine jar is buried!"

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian's heart stirred slightly. Although he had inherited Xu Fengnian's memories, this detail was not included in the information provided by Juntian. Clearly, this was Chen Zhibao's test.

He was silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled: "Chen Zhibao, you've got it wrong."

"That jar of wine wasn't buried under the Listening Tide Pavilion, but under the third paulownia tree in the Wutong Garden. And..."

His gaze was sharp. "That's not plum wine. It's the imperial wine of Liyang that I stole. Because the taste was too strong, we only took one sip and then buried it."

Chen Zhibao's pupils contracted slightly, and his hand holding the sword trembled slightly.

Fan Xian continued, "Back then you said that when we grew up, we would definitely dig out this jar of wine and see who would get drunk first."

The room was silent; everyone watched this scene with bated breath.

Chen Zhibao's eyes were gloomy and uncertain. He then probed again and again, all with secrets that only he and Xu Fengnian knew.

Finally, Chen Zhibao dropped his longsword to the ground, knelt on one knee, his spine still straight, and said, "This humble general... pays respects to the Crown Prince!"

This kneeling acted as if a floodgate had been opened. The generals inside followed Chen Zhibao in kneeling, shouting in unison, "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Fan Xian took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the mourning hall. He knelt before Xu Xiaoling and kowtowed three times. When he looked up, his face was already covered in tears.

"Father... Feng Nian is late."

This cry was so sincere and heartfelt that even Chen Zhibao was moved.

That night, in the study of the Northern Liang King's Palace.

Fan Xian stood alone by the window, watching the snowflakes falling in the courtyard. Old Huang appeared silently behind him and whispered, "Young Master, although Chen Zhibao outwardly submits, he is still secretly investigating the cause of the Prince's death."

Fan Xian's lips curled slightly: "It's alright, let him investigate. The death of my adoptive father is an unsolved case, no matter how he investigates, he won't find any results."

He turned to look at the map of Northern Liang on the table, his finger lightly tracing over Liangzhou, Lingzhou and other places, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.

The situation is now complex and complicated. There is the Northern Barbarians and the Li Yang, who are eyeing the throne with hostility. Internally, Chen Zhibao's achievements are "overshadowing the emperor's," and his younger brother Xu Longxiang may also become a stumbling block to his succession.

"Old Huang, pass down the order: I will be holding a military council at Tingchao Pavilion in three days. All generals of the fifth rank and above from Beiliang must be present."

"Also, send a message to Li Yang that Xu Xiao's death cannot be hidden for long, so there is no need to hide it. Also, inform my two older sisters of his death and ask them to come back."

"Yes, Master."

The Northern Liang is now like a piece of fat meat that has lost its owner, and everyone wants to take a bite, but this meat has thorns, like Chen Zhibao, and like these 300,000 iron cavalry.

The Northern Liang cavalry was renowned throughout the land. After defeating Dong Zhuo of the Northern Mang with 8,000 iron cavalry at the Battle of Yelu River, Chu Lushan lamented: "There are two kinds of cavalry in the world: the Northern Liang cavalry and all other cavalry."

This statement alone demonstrates the formidable power of the Northern Liang cavalry, which was unmatched. Everyone wanted to control them, yet at the same time, they were filled with dread.

Because everyone in the world knows that the Northern Liang army only recognizes the Xu-character King's Banner.

But things have changed now. Xu Xiao is dead, and his heir, Xu Fengnian, is a notorious good-for-nothing playboy. Chen Zhibao would never allow him to take over Beiliang.

So as soon as he returned, he took the initiative to launch an attack.

Among the Northern Liang army, there were those who supported Chen Zhibao and those who supported Xu Longxiang. Even though Xu Longxiang was mentally unstable, he still had many supporters simply because he was born with the Vajra Realm.

This includes Xu Fengnian's personal guard battalion, the Feng Battalion.

It's a joke, really. What are personal guards? They're basically just suicide soldiers. Yet Ning Emei, the commander of the Phoenix Battalion, is loyal to Xu Longxiang. Is that pathetic, or is she just clueless?
Xu Fengnian needs to plan carefully over these three days, deciding who he can win over and who is worth winning over, so that he can stand on equal footing with Chen Zhibao.

Xu Fengnian's master, Li Yishan, naturally stood on his side. In addition, Xu Yanbing was also a master in the Northern Liang Prince's Mansion.

After all, Xu Fengnian had called him Uncle Xu for so many years, and Xu Yanbing was originally the junior brother of the spear immortal Wang Xiu.

Wang Xiu had a prized disciple, Chen Zhibao in white, who was exceptionally talented and highly valued by Wang Xiu. However, Wang Xiu was narrow-minded and overly arrogant. He was jealous of Chen Zhibao's marksmanship and even plotted to kill him during a competition.

As a result, Chen Zhibao fought with increasing ferocity and killed Wang Xiu with a single shot!
It can be said that Xu Yanbing and Chen Zhibao have always been at odds.

There's also his maternal grandfather, Qi Lianhua, whose sword and armor from the Thirteen Armors of Spring and Autumn have always been hidden in the Northern Liang King's Palace.

Besides these experts, there are also those who command troops, such as Chu Lushan, whom I may not think highly of, but whose ability to command troops is undeniable. He is highly talented in literature and is known as Chu Bacha. He is also skilled in martial arts and has participated in many battles, making him a highly decorated general.

There is also Qi Dangguo, a fierce general of Beiliang. People say that Qi Dangguo is a blindly loyal person, but since becoming Xu Xiao's adopted son, he has regarded himself as a member of the Xu family and Xu Fengnian as his younger brother.

Qi Dangguo harbored resentment towards Xu Fengnian for his feigned playboy lifestyle all those years, yet he still treated Xu Fengnian with utmost care. Every year, he would ask Xu Fengnian for Spring Festival couplets.

Such talented individuals and capable generals can all be used by Fan Xian now. Although it seems like there is no chance of winning, in reality, the odds are already more than 50%.

Chen Zhibao could neither take away nor take away Beiliang.

And one must also show one's fangs when the time is right.

After Lao Huang withdrew, Fan Xian took out a small black flag from his pocket, which was the Xuan Yuan Water Control Flag given to him by Jun Tian. With a gentle wave, the previously isolated heavenly secrets suddenly became clear.

"Chen Zhibao, the White-Clad Soldier Immortal, is the reincarnation of the Azure Emperor."

He muttered to himself, "You probably won't have a chance to get your hands on the 300,000 iron cavalry of Beiliang."

Three days later, at Tingchao Pavilion.

A light drizzle enveloped the central city of Beiliang in a misty haze.

Fan Xian, dressed in plain white linen clothes with a Northern Liang sword hanging at his waist, stood on the stone steps in front of the pavilion, pulling Xu Longxiang along. Old Huang stood behind them, holding an oil-paper umbrella, his missing front tooth slightly parted, but his eyes warily scanning their surroundings.

"Young Master, everyone is here," Old Huang said in a low voice.

Fan Xian nodded slightly and stepped into the Listening Tide Pavilion. The pavilion was brightly lit by candlelight, with the core generals of Northern Liang lined up on both sides. On the left was Chen Zhibao, dressed in white, with a stern face; on the right were Chu Lushan, Yuan Zuozong, and others, who all stood up and bowed when they saw him enter.

"Greetings, Your Highness, Young Prince!"

Fan Xian's gaze swept over the crowd, lingering for a moment longer on Chen Zhibao's face.

This white-robed military strategist appeared respectful, but his eyes held a sharp, scrutinizing edge. The probing three days ago was just the beginning; today was the real test.

"Everyone, please take a seat."

Fan Xian walked to the main seat, but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he took out a secret letter from his sleeve.

"I have just received news that the Empress of Northern Mang intends to send Dong Zhuo with 100,000 cavalry south to the Northern Mang court. What do you all think?"

(End of this chapter)