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Chapter 109 The Legacy of the Lotus Cloud Sect
"Your Majesty... the position of Immortal Master is exclusively reserved for disciples of the Lotus Cloud Sect. May I ask if this cultivator is also from the Lotus Cloud Sect?" The chief minister, standing at the front, couldn't help but ask.

King Qi raised an eyebrow, his imposing presence radiating authority even without anger. "What, is Duke Tang blaming me for breaking the agreement with the Lotus Cloud Sect and choosing another cultivator to serve as the Great Qi Immortal Master? It wasn't me who broke the agreement, it was that bitch Liu Shuyue! On this point, the whole world has witnessed it!"

"Your Majesty, I dare not," the Grand Chancellor quickly explained. "I am merely worried that if the Lotus Cloud Sect were to hold us accountable—"

"That's a hundred years from now!" King Qi interrupted directly. "But if we don't have a Celestial Master now, Great Qi will probably perish in another ten years. Do you think I can't tell which is more important?"

The ministers were speechless.

He softened his tone, "I know you are loyal and worried about the safety of the Great Qi, but aren't I the same? Master Jiang also said that if the Lotus Cloud Sect is willing to send a new disciple, or if Liu Shuyue confesses her crimes and surrenders, he is willing to immediately give up his position as a master, right?"

“That’s natural,” Jiang Ning said calmly.

"Furthermore, I had my reasons for appointing him as the Immortal Master. He cannot be in this position without considerable ability." King Qi looked at him and said, "Why don't you introduce yourself to the ministers and tell them what your skills are?"

The man turned to face the crowd in the hall. "The reason Liu Shuyue was able to quickly gather a group of cultivators lies in the matter of slaying the dragon. The dragon represents the monarch, and dragon blood contains dragon energy. If this dragon energy impacts the human body, it is enough to grant one the ability to sense qi. However, she sprinkled the blood containing dragons on those lowly refugees, thus creating a group of rogue cultivators loyal to her... No, calling them rogue cultivators is no longer appropriate; these people are traitors under Liu Shuyue's unified command!"

The courtiers were immediately in an uproar.

"What? Dragon blood can sense Qi?"

"If one can cultivate using this method, doesn't that mean..."

"Could it be that Liu Shuyue's attempts to curry favor with the disaster victims in Qingzhou were actually a prelude to a rebellious plot?"

Everyone knew that Liu Shuyue had slain the dragon, which had infuriated King Qi, who cursed her profusely, as it was a symbol of the emperor. However, considering the shocking news from Master Jiang, her act of killing the dragon and taking its blood was entirely different!
Despite the fact that the orthodox Lotus Cloud Sect rejects rogue cultivators, who wouldn't want to become a cultivator? Putting aside other benefits, those who can sense Qi usually live longer and are less prone to illness, even without learning magic!

Such precious dragon blood, yet it was given away to those lowly commoners for nothing!

Just thinking about this made the officials in the hall grit their teeth in hatred.

"May I ask, Master Jiang, how did you learn of this news?" The Prime Minister now used respectful language towards him.

“My ancestors had a connection with the immortal masters of the Lotus Cloud Sect. They not only heard many secrets unknown to the world, but also learned some of the sect's secret techniques.” Jiang Ning smiled slightly. “If you don’t believe me, I have other ways to prove it…”

“For example, as mentioned earlier, dragon blood can stimulate a person’s potential. In fact, the essence of demons can also allow people to touch the threshold of Qi perception.” He took out a golden pill from his robes and showed it to everyone. “This is the Hunyuan Pill that I refined. It is made from more than ten kinds of rare spiritual herbs, combined with demon blood and Hunyuan techniques. Once taken, even ordinary people like you can sense the existence of Qi in just a few hours!”

These few words are even more astonishing than the previous news about sensing the dragon's blood!
Nobody's a fool. If someone could sense Qi with a pill, what would that mean?
This means that everyone has the opportunity to cultivate themselves, and talent will not be the decisive factor!
This means that even without relying on the disciples of the Lotus Cloud Sect, King Qi can still cultivate an army loyal to himself!

No wonder the King of Qi held this man in such high regard—this one move was enough to solve all the problems currently facing the State of Qi.

"Master, since it requires the essence of demons to be produced, won't it have any side effects on ordinary people?" a general in armor asked, bowing respectfully.

"Yes, of course," Jiang Ning replied in a cold voice. "Compared to the disciples of the Lotus Cloud Sect, these people may never learn any profound cultivation techniques in their entire lives. Until their lifespan runs out, they will ultimately only be at the level of a rogue cultivator. Does the general have any other questions?"

"Uh...that's all."

He had no doubts. If the immortal master's statement was true, then wouldn't the side effects be the same as none?
So what if they are independent cultivators? Their biggest drawback is that they are constantly suppressed and scattered throughout the six kingdoms, so their loyalty to the emperor is limited. Even if you spend a lot of money to recruit them, you might only get one or two people who would be loyal to the death. Compared to an army of tens of thousands of respectable men, that's simply not enough!
The Battle of Jiufeng City in Yunzhou also proved this point. The allied forces of the three states dared to launch an attack when they were blocked in front and pursued from behind, while the rogue cultivators who were attracted by the bounty fled at the slightest setback. Their reliability was not even on the same level.

"Master Jiang, how many of these pills can you refine?" King Qi asked with a smile.

“If we have enough materials, we can produce one batch every seven days, with a hundred pills per batch,” Jiang Ning replied, turning around. “The medicinal herbs are manageable, but the key lies with the demons, so for the time being, Your Majesty will have to rely on the power of the rogue cultivators.”

"No problem!" King Qi waved his hand. "How many men, how much money, how many supplies you need, I will provide them all. As long as you can train a cultivator army for me, it's not a problem!" "Yes," he replied in a clear voice. "Please rest assured, Your Majesty, this is my duty."

……

King Qi took Jiang Xianshi back to the inner palace and headed straight for Hanchun Palace.

That was where he rested, handled state affairs, and slept; only the queen, concubines, and trusted ministers were qualified to be summoned there.

However, as soon as he stepped across the threshold of Hanchun Palace, Prince Qi seemed to change completely. He respectfully stepped aside, transforming from a guide into a follower, just like a servant.

Jiang Xianshi skillfully bypassed the screen and inner corridor, leading Prince Qi into a bedroom.

The air was filled with a rich, incense-scented aroma, and pale red gauze curtains hung from the rafters, surrounding the large bed in the center.

Approaching the bed, one sees a woman reclining on it, her black hair cascading down her back to the embroidered gold pillow. She is only covered by a thin veil, which perfectly showcases her graceful figure. Her veil is half-open, revealing a section of her snow-white neck and collarbone, while the rest is barely concealed, irresistibly alluring.

The woman languidly rested her chin on her hand, her fingertips gently toying with her loose hair. Her eyes, brimming with a half-smile and a captivating weariness, sparkled as she asked, "How was it, senior? Did the trip go smoothly?"

“You should call me Martial Uncle,” Jiang Ning said expressionlessly. “Sit down and talk properly. This kind of charm technique has no effect on me.”

The alluring expression vanished from her face instantly. The woman sat up, straightening her clothes. "If I don't do this, how can I be sure you're still Uncle Jiang?"

“It’s not so easy for ordinary cultivators to get rid of the Soul Transfer Technique. Don’t worry, this body will be stable for at least two or three years.” Jiang Ning sat down next to her, while King Qi stood opposite them, as wooden as a puppet. “But your seductive skills have truly impressed me.”

"Heh, it's only effective against ordinary people. How can it compare to Junior Sister Liu's lone demon-slaying prowess and the awe-inspiring sight of her splitting the sky with a single sword strike?" the woman said dismissively. "What a pity... If she had obediently come to the royal city, we could have saved a lot of trouble. I never expected her to dare to defy the Lotus Cloud Sect's agreement and voluntarily betray the Great Qi. I thought she was the kind of person who valued the sect's responsibilities above all else."

“Being able to subtly win over ordinary people is not as useless as you think.” Jiang Ning curled the corners of her lips. “As for Liu Shuyue… she may not have defected from Qi on her own initiative.”

According to their original plan, they would have the King of Luo, who was already infatuated with Lan Qin, send troops to the border to create an atmosphere of imminent invasion of Qi. Then, they would have the King of Qi, who was also bewitched by Lan Qin, force Liu Shuyue to return to court. In this way, they could use the relationship between the monarch and his minister to control the immortal master of Qi and complete the unification of the two countries without bloodshed.

This plan had been going on for almost three years. Liu Shuyue's frequent absences from the court did indeed give Lan Qin an opportunity to infiltrate the Qi King's palace unnoticed. However, she never expected that Liu Shuyue would be so determined to act alone, refusing to obey orders no matter what was said. Even when Qi was facing the risk of national annihilation, she still refused to return. With the slightest pressure, she immediately raised the banner of rebellion, as if she knew that someone was lying in ambush waiting for her in the capital.

"Not a voluntary betrayal?" Lan Qin suddenly had a bad feeling. "Could it be that she also encountered the previous martial uncle? Shouldn't we sit down and talk?"

"What are we talking about, joining forces against the Lotus Cloud Sect?" Jiang Ning sneered twice. "I have indeed thought about that. What if other fellow disciples are using the Golden Cicada Shedding its Shell Technique and Soul Transfer Technique to deceive the sect? But even so, there's no guarantee they'll be determined to stand on our side. After all, that's the Lotus Cloud Sect—the orthodox sect that has fooled us so convincingly. And the number of outstanding individuals within it isn't limited to Master's generation."

“...That’s true.” Lan Qin thought for a moment. “She once wrote me a letter, questioning why I started the war. From this perspective, she was still fulfilling her duty as a celestial master to care for the people.”

"That's right. Even if we are betrayed, we can never forget the teachings of the sect. This is the mark that those people have imposed on our souls."

"What if Liu Shuyue really does have a martial uncle supporting her..."

"What else can we do? Only strength can decide this matter," Jiang Ning said calmly. "She can use dragon blood to cultivate disaster victims, and we can use Hunyuan Pills to create an army of cultivators. She only has one city, Jiufeng, while we control the resources of both Da Luo and Da Qi. How can we possibly lose in a confrontation with her?"

"To be honest, I quite dislike her," Lan Qin sighed, playing with a strand of hair. "Back in the sect, she was always so unyielding, always outdoing me in everything she learned. I've long wondered what my junior sister would be like if I could peel back that cold facade..."

"Hmph, just a woman's jealousy," Jiang Ning said dismissively.

“Who says otherwise?” She smiled sweetly, loosened her hair, and held up her slender, jade-like fingers in front of her… Her five fingers were long, flexible, and had distinct knuckles; each one could bring immense pleasure. “Once she falls into my hands, I will definitely take good care of her.”

(End of this chapter)