Simultaneous travel: I am rampant in the domestic area

Chapter 169 Overt and Conspiracies

Two pieces of news from the capital's gazette.

First, the northern envoys brought back news that the King of Zhenbei had massacred 380,000 people in Chuzhou City for his own selfish desires, causing outrage among both humans and gods. He was killed by a mysterious person, and the envoys brought back the King of Zhenbei's body;
Second, the Prince of Zhenbei resurrected from the dead outside the palace gates, in full view of the public, and flatly denied the accusations of the 3,000-mile bloodbath. However, the evidence was overwhelming, and Zheng Xinghuai, the former governor of Chuzhou, came forward to accuse him. The Prince of Zhenbei was unable to defend himself, and Emperor Yuan Jing was deliberately biased, so the matter was left unresolved.
……

Xu Mansion.

In the yard, Russell was instructing Xu Lingyin in her practice. The little girl was dancing with a stone pillar weighing several hundred pounds with great vigor.

Xu Qian'an, in a very good mood, was sitting on Russell's recliner with a wine jug in his hand. The giant scorpion, which had just emerged from its cocoon state, was lying on his shoulder, lazily basking in the sun. Next to the seat was a basket of fresh green oranges.

Duke Wei took pity on him for the hardships he had endured in the northern border and granted him a half-week paid leave. He had just returned from visiting Madam Fuxiang of the Music Bureau.

Not long after, Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen walked in from the courtyard gate. Xu Qian'an had told them yesterday morning that Duke Wei had invited them to the night watchman's office for a chat, so they went to keep the appointment this morning.

"What does Duke Wei ask you to do?" Xu Qian'an asked curiously.

"Draw the talisman and sign your name." Li Miaozhen said with a yawn, and Chu Yuanzhen nodded beside him.

According to Li Miaozhen, Wei Yuan asked them to make some talismans with special effects that could liberate the souls of the dead, mainly to sell and give to the people who migrated north to Chuzhou.

Chuzhou is an indispensable barrier against the two tribes of monsters and barbarians and the Wushen Cult on the northeastern border. It is impossible for the imperial court to leave it vacant. It needs both garrison troops and supplies from the people.

But the problem now is that the people don't know that the original residents of Chuzhou City were poisoned by the Blood-Snatching Powder. They only know that 380,000 people died in Chuzhou City. With the spread of rumors by people with ulterior motives, Chuzhou City has now become a ghost town. Without this thing, no matter how many benefits are offered, it is impossible for the people to voluntarily migrate.

As for why Wei Yuan did not go to the Imperial Astronomical Bureau but to Li Miaozhen and Chu Yuanzhen, Wei Yuan's explanation was that the Imperial Astronomical Bureau's magic tool processing fees and talisman design fees were calculated separately. He was recently making plans to attack the Wushen Cult, and every expenditure had to be carefully calculated.

"Speaking of which, the news that the King of Zhenbei is back from the dead is circulating in the city. Do you have any plans that you haven't told us?" Chu Yuanzhen came to the table and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea.

He drank the tea in one gulp, regardless of the fact that it was scalding hot. The fragrance of the tea overflowed from his mouth, which made Chu Yuanzhen's eyes light up immediately. The taste of this tea was exactly the same as the one he had tasted from the Taoist master of Lingbao Temple.

"That's right! Russell, I'm your Taoist partner! Why did you hide it from me?" Li Miaozhen also complained. On the hairpin on her head, the Constellation Butterfly flapped its wings, and the two antennae on her head trembled, as if responding to what its owner said.

"It's not that I meant to hide it from you." Russell curled the corners of his mouth, helped Li Miaozhen sit down, massaged her shoulders from behind, and explained.

The resurrection of King Zhenbei was actually part of the plan from the beginning.

On that day, Russell and Xu Qian'an had a conversation at the Chuzhou City Post Station.

The topic of the conversation revolved around what Emperor Yuan Jing cared about.

Is it cultivation? Is it brotherhood? Or is it the wish for immortality?
Ultimately, they decided the answer was power.

Emperor Yuan Jing's desire for control of power has reached a perverted level.

As for the core issue of Emperor Yuan Jing's greed for power and fame, they continued to explore in depth how to make him feel what true cruelty is.

The massacre of the city by the King of Zhenbei was definitely approved by Emperor Yuan Jing. Xu Qian'an believed that simply making the King of Zhenbei's crimes public was not enough to atone for the crimes they committed against the 380,000 people in Chuzhou City.

They wanted to make Emperor Yuan Jing feel very uncomfortable, like a thorn in his back, and a fishbone stuck in his throat, so that he could not eat or sleep well, and lived in torment every day.

Thus, a drama called the true and false King of Zhenbei was quietly staged under the promotion of the two.

By now, the King of Zhenbei, Jili Zhigu, and Zhu Jiu have all been completely refined by Russell into external incarnations. Even though their aura, bloodline, and cultivation are no different from the King of Zhenbei's body, others may not be able to see it, but Emperor Zhendace will definitely see through it.

As the original body of the Three Pure Ones, although Emperor Zhendace could not fully control the states of the other two incarnations, it was not difficult for her to sense that the core of the shell had been replaced.

Emperor Yuan Jing now faces a difficult choice.

Or, he could stubbornly defend the reputation of the King of Zhenbei, but the consequence of doing so would be that the King of Zhenbei would come to the court as an extraordinary warrior, cultivate his own party, and gradually erode the emperor's power.

Or, he could admit that King Zhenbei massacred Chuzhou City, weaken King Zhenbei's influence, and slowly separate him from the center of power. This would be exactly what Russell wanted. After all, the Sword of the Nation would not reach the northern border by itself. In this way, he could drag Emperor Yuan Jing into the water and further weaken his imperial luck.

In the end, no matter what choice Emperor Yuan Jing makes, Prince Zhenbei will not die. He will continue to live in the capital, and under the nose of Emperor Yuan Jing, he and Mu Nanzhi will be together and fly together.

"What a great conspiracy!" After listening to Xu Qian'an's narration, Chu Yuanzhen couldn't stop applauding.

From now on, the Prince of Zhenbei was like a nail, firmly nailed to Emperor Yuan Jing's heart, making him unable to sleep at night.

"But, what if Emperor Yuan Jing insists that your death is fake and then puts the blame of the massacre on you?" Li Miaozhen asked.

"Fake? He needs evidence to prove it." Russell chuckled.

The three-piece set for identity verification is the national sword, the spiritual dragon, and the art of seeing the qi.

Russell had tried the Sword of the Nation on his way back to the capital, and he could use it as easily as with his own fingers or arms, so the Sword of the Nation did not reject him.

Not to mention Linglong, since he shared the luck with Xu Qiyan through the giant scorpion, Russell could also enjoy the same treatment as Xu Qiyan;

As for the art of qi-reading, Russell almost wanted to laugh when he heard it. The supervisors were all his men, and Emperor Yuan Jing was proving that he was a fake with his head on his shoulders.

Unless he committed suicide in the Taimiao in front of all the civil and military officials, and left a will explaining the whole story, the cause and effect, this is somewhat possible.

……

"The Prince of Zhenbei and his princess came to see the Imperial Master."

Outside Lingbao Temple, an extremely luxurious carriage slowly stopped, and the steward of Prince Huai's Mansion handed a visiting card to Taoist Renzong who was guarding the door.

The Taoist priests of the Renzong sect glanced at the carriage curiously. They had heard a lot about the ups and downs in the capital in recent days.

Not long after, Luo Yuheng sent a message, asking King Zhenbei and Mu Nanzhi to come into the temple for a chat.

Mu Nanzhi happily jumped off the carriage holding Bai Ji. This time, she did not wear a Bodhi bracelet or a veil hat to cover her face. She revealed her most perfect and flawless appearance.

All this was because of the man behind her. He told her that with him around, she wouldn't have to hide anything anymore.

"you……"

In the small courtyard of the temple, Luo Yuheng had already brewed tea on the stone table. When she saw Mu Nanzhi for the first time, she was also attracted by her defenseless and unparalleled face. After she realized what was happening, she couldn't help but teasingly said, "It's really different to have a backer. You even have a fox demon."

"You're not the one to tell me that." Mu Nanzhi boasted without any hesitation. The King of Zhenbei, who was following behind her, bowed to Luo Yuheng and said, "It's been twenty years since we last met. The Imperial Master is still as elegant as ever."

"Your Highness, how are you?" Although Luo Yuheng did not stand up, he bowed slightly in return.

After everyone sat down, Luo Yuheng began to look at the "King of Zhenbei". She couldn't help but think that the prejudice in people's hearts was really a huge mountain.

She originally thought that Prince Zhenbei and Emperor Yuan Jing were birds of a feather, but now it seems that she was wrong.

Judging from the mood and state of this silly woman Mu Nanzhi, she obviously did not suffer any hardship during this trip to Chuzhou.

As for Xu Qian'an's accusation of the bloody massacre of three thousand miles, Luo Yuheng felt that there must be some misunderstanding.

"Pfft! No, you really didn't see that?"

The tea lasted for half an hour. Mu Nanzhi and Luo Yuheng chatted casually, and Russell, as the King of Zhenbei, would occasionally interject. The atmosphere was harmonious until Mu Nanzhi couldn't help laughing because Luo Yuheng kept calling her "Prince". This aroused Luo Yuheng's suspicion.

Luo Yuheng stared at the King of Zhenbei suspiciously, his eyes even turning amber, but he still couldn't figure out what was going on. Finally, he couldn't help but said angrily: "Please explain something to me, Your Majesty."

"Master, don't be angry." Russell teased, using his own voice.

"Russell?" Luo Yuheng was stunned for a moment, then stepped forward in disbelief and grabbed the King of Zhenbei's face: "How can they be so similar?"

……

Yunzhou.

Amidst the mountains, a majestic city is built against the mountain, with houses and attics hidden in the woods. It is bustling with people and is extremely lively.

There are more than 200,000 households in the city, and almost everyone except the common people and farmers is wearing armor and carrying soldiers. Most of them are desperate criminals, but in this city, no matter how fierce they are in the outside world, they have to restrain their violent temperament.

The buildings in the inner city resemble the imperial palace in the capital. Among the many courtyards, there is a small courtyard that is tightly sealed by guards.

A pretty girl in a purple dress was holding her mother's arm, laughing and talking about the interesting things that had been heard from the outside world in recent days.

In the courtyard, the young man was holding a nine-foot spear. The spear was pitch black, and the tip of the spear was the head of a golden dragon with its mouth wide open. The tip of the spear was like a snake's tongue sticking out of the dragon's mouth. He had a grim expression on his face, and he was waving the spear, making a whirring sound. The wind was whistling in the yard, stirring up gusts of dust.

A beautiful woman in gorgeous clothes held a teacup, her delicate fingers pinching the lid and gently tapping the rim of the cup. She asked casually, "How is your father now?"

Knowing that his mother was worried about his eldest brother, Xu Yuanshuang didn't keep her in suspense and told the truth: "Since my father returned from Chuzhou, he went straight to Tianji Pavilion to recuperate. I heard that he suffered a great loss at the hands of my eldest brother."

Is that so?
Ji Baiqing nodded, but her heart was still hanging in the air.

Xu Pingfeng is a top-level second-grade sorcerer and one of the strongest men in the world. Her Dalang was able to hurt Xu Pingfeng, and no one knows what price he paid.

hum!
Buzz!

At this moment, a series of rapid buzzing sounds suddenly rang out from all over Qianlong City. The wind chimes hanging under every attic rang without wind, making crisp sounds.

After a while, a beam of light shot up into the sky from the magnificent tower-shaped building in the center of Qianlong City, and the buzzing sound gradually stopped.

"Father is injured to this extent!?" Xu Yuanshuang asked in surprise.

In Qianlong City, only my father Xu Pingfeng can mobilize a formation of this scale.

As a fellow sorcerer, Xu Yuanshuang could vaguely see that his father was mobilizing the spiritual energy of the earth to heal himself.

"Let's go to Tianji Pavilion and take a look." Xu Yuanhuai put away the black gold Panlong Spear and was eager to take his sister to find his father to check the situation.

Xu Yuanshuang glared at Xu Yuanhuai. Ji Baiqing first shook her head in amusement, then ruffled her daughter's hair and said softly, "He is your father. If you are worried, go and see him. Don't worry about me."

Xu Yuanshuang forced an apologetic smile towards his mother, promised that he would be back within an hour, and quickly pulled Xu Yuanhuai away.

After leaving the courtyard, Xu Yuanshuang kicked Xu Yuanhuai in annoyance. Under Xu Yuanhuai's puzzled gaze, he activated the teleportation array and teleported himself and his brother to the bottom of Tianji Pavilion.

Xu Yuanshuang asked herself if her movements were slow at all, but when she arrived with her brother, the area around Tianji Pavilion was already full of people.

They were all her uncles, the sons and daughters of the Lord of Qianlong City, and her father's only disciple, Ge Wenxuan.

"Senior Brother Ge, how is father?" Xu Yuanshuang asked.

"Junior sister, don't worry." Ge Wenxuan comforted her. Since Master still had a chance to absorb the spiritual energy of the earth veins, he would be fine.

Not long after, the door of Tianji Pavilion opened.

A group of people rushed in, but were blown away by an invisible barrier at the door.

Only Ji Qian, Xu Yuanshuang, Xu Yuanhuai and Ge Wenxuan were allowed to enter.

The top floor of Tianji Pavilion was brightly lit with candles, the curtains hung low, the lobby floor was covered with expensive knitted carpet, and on the table was a four-legged golden beast, emitting wisps of sandalwood incense.

A middle-aged man in a purple robe sat upright on a large chair, while a sorcerer in white robes sat cross-legged beside him, his face pale and holding a hand warmer in his hands.

"Master, what exactly happened?" Ge Wenxuan asked calmly.

"My eldest son, together with Russell and the King of Ten Thousand Demons, set a trap for me. I almost died in Chuzhou." Xu Pingfeng coughed, his voice hoarse and weak.

After leaving Chuzhou City, he was worried that the location of Qianlong City would be exposed and his years of hard work would be ruined, so he stayed in other states and counties for a long time before returning to Qianlong City.

"Russell? Is he the warrior who represented the Imperial Observatory to fight against Buddhism? Isn't he just a fourth-rank warrior?" Ji Qian said in surprise.

Qianlong City pays the most attention to Dafeng in the Nine Provinces. No matter how big or small the events in the capital happen, they can see and hear them.

"Judging from his performance this time, he already has the combat power of the second rank. In time, Dafeng will have another first-rank warrior who is proficient in astrology." Xu Pingfeng said.

"What should we do then? Does the Imperial Master have any plans?" the Purple City Lord asked in a deep voice.

They have been waiting for too long. If a first-class warrior who is not restricted by luck appears in Dafeng, their lineage will never have a chance to succeed.

"Wenxuan." Xu Pingfeng smiled faintly and called his disciples.

Ge Wenxuan stepped forward and bowed: "Disciple is here."

"Go to the Western Regions, meet Jia Luoshu, and tell him that I have news about Shen Shu."

(End of this chapter)