Two Realms High Martial Arts: Gathering the Heavens to Become a Great Luo Immortal

Chapter 306 Mysterious Maiden Sect, Furnace Puppet

Madam Mu meticulously explained the current power structure in the capital, then her gaze fell upon Li Xijun, and she asked with a testing tone:

"hope-kun, this is the situation. What's your view on it? And how do you plan to break this deadlock?"

Li Xijun hesitated for a moment, his eyes not filled with the gloom of political intrigue, but rather with clarity. He spoke slowly:

"Aunt's analysis is insightful. In my opinion, the capital, and indeed the entire country, truly needs a legitimate heir to stabilize public sentiment. This is a shared underlying need of the Empress, Eunuch Wei, and even Zhuge Liang. The biggest obstacle on the surface is the ambitious Zhuge Liang."

He paused, his tone calm yet carrying a confidence based on his strength:

"Although I neither enjoy nor am skilled in political maneuvering, sometimes when the tide turns, the method can be simple and direct. To become the Crown Prince, the essence of such a thing is simply to make as many friends as possible and as few enemies as possible."

Upon hearing this, Madam Mu's eyes immediately shone with undisguised admiration, and her gaze toward Li Xijun became even more affectionate, as if she were looking at a rough jade that already possessed inner brilliance despite its lack of carving.

These words are simple, yet they get to the heart of the matter.

Mu Wanqiu, who was standing to the side, nodded slightly, her beautiful eyes sparkling with admiration. She felt that Li Xijun's words resonated with her own thoughts.

Li Xijun continued his analysis along this line of thought:

"First, there's the Empress's side. I've heard she hasn't been in the palace long, and she's a representative of several major sects, including the Sword Sect, in a political marriage arranged with the royal family. She has no children of her own, and there are no other adult princes in the palace to support her. She can't rule from behind the curtain because she lacks a legitimate heir."

"My core condition for cooperating with her is simple: as long as I promise to maintain or even optimize the existing power structure and business dealings between the imperial court and these sects after I take power, thus protecting their core interests, she has no reason to refuse; on the contrary, she would be happy to see it happen. She's a friend who can be easily won over."

"Secondly, it's Eunuch Wei."

Li Xijun looked towards the palace and continued:

"Although he now wields great power, he is like a rootless duckweed, and his official status is his greatest weakness. He and the Red-Blooded Marquis are almost irreconcilable enemies. The rumor that circulated in the palace a few days ago about him spying on the 'Emperor's Dragon Fist' was probably the product of their power struggle."

"He needs a legitimate master more than anyone else" to solidify his position and power. As long as I can sit down with him and have an honest discussion, clarifying each other's needs and bottom lines, reaching a cooperation agreement will not be difficult. After all, if I don't take the position, the biggest beneficiary will be his mortal enemy, the Crimson-Blooded Marquis, a fact he understands better than anyone else.

"As for Zhuge Liang," Li Xijun said with a hint of respect, "he came from a proper imperial examination background, was well-versed in literature, and considered himself a scholar-official. Although he was highly skilled in martial arts, he valued the rule of the court and the stability of the realm even more."

"What he insists on is the Confucian orthodoxy of primogeniture. With me, the 'prince,' in the picture, he will never agree to the Marquis of Crimson Gallant usurping the throne as a member of the imperial family. Therefore, as long as I demonstrate the ability and legitimacy to stabilize the situation, he will not only not obstruct me, but will also become an important force of support."

"Therefore, what we need to do now is to take the initiative to contact the Empress and Eunuch Wei's factions in the palace, have frank and open discussions with them, reach a consensus, and unite our friends."

However, Li Xijun's tone shifted, and her eyes sharpened:

"But all of this is predicated on the fact that we must guard against the desperate measures of the Courageous Marquis."

"In this world, many things ultimately come down to strength. The Crimson-Blooded Marquis is a Grandmaster of the seventh level of the Outer Realm, possessing formidable power. Once I officially take action, he likely won't choose complex political maneuvering, but will instead use the simplest and most effective means to solve the problem—directly employing force to eliminate me, the biggest variable."

Li Xijun's analysis was clear and logical, not only seeing the possibility of uniting all parties but also pointing out the most direct dangers, demonstrating thorough consideration.

After listening, Madam Mu's face showed a very satisfied and gratified smile, and she nodded repeatedly:

"Good! Good! hope Jun, you see things so clearly and think so thoroughly, I am completely relieved."

She seemed much more relaxed. It was a good thing for the Mu family that Li Xijun had such an understanding.

"Leave the matter of contacting the Empress and Eunuch Wei to me, your aunt."

Madam Mu readily accepted the responsibility, her tone resolute, "At the latest by tomorrow, I can arrange for you to meet with each of them separately to discuss the matter face-to-face."

She looked at Li Xijun, her tone solemn and sincere:

"My family, the Mu family, has been deeply favored by the Emperor for generations and is a loyal subject of the Great Xia Dynasty. Both in public and private matters, we will do our utmost to help you successfully ascend to the throne and stabilize the Great Xia Dynasty."

Whether it was his imagination or not, when he said the words "do everything in his power," Madam Mu's gaze seemed to subtly and meaningfully glance at her daughter, Mu Wanqiu, who was sitting to the side, slightly lost in thought because of Li Xijun's eloquent speech.

Mu Wanqiu felt her mother's gaze and momentarily looked away, but she quickly concealed it, picked up her teacup, and used the steaming water to hide her eyes.

Li Xijun then stood up and bowed respectfully: "In that case, I'll trouble you with the expense, Auntie."

.

That night, the capital was shrouded in darkness and high winds. Thick clouds swallowed up all the starlight and moonlight, leaving only a few pale rays of light that barely outlined the contours of the city's continuous rooftops.

The night wind howled, passing through the deserted streets and alleys, bringing with it a series of mournful sounds, as if invisible ghosts were whispering in the shadows.

In this oppressive darkness, the Red-Blooded Marquis's Mansion, located in the capital's elite district, remained brightly lit.

The main hall of the Marquis's mansion was extremely luxurious.

The floor was covered with a warm jade and gold silk carpet from the Western Regions, four golden pillars with coiled dragons supported the dome, and the walls were adorned with authentic calligraphy and paintings by famous artists from previous dynasties. Every piece of furniture was priceless, silently demonstrating the owner's immense power and wealth.

A person sat upright in the main seat of the hall.

He was dressed in a marquis's robe with a crimson dragon design, with a jade belt around his waist. He looked to be about forty or fifty years old, with sharp features and a pair of tiger-like eyes that shone brightly when they opened and closed, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

Just sitting there, he exuded a heavy, imposing aura, as if the air in the entire hall became oppressive because of his presence.

He is none other than the most prominent and feared figure in the capital today, the valiant Marquis.

Four people, three men and one woman, were seated on the rosewood armchair below.

With calm demeanor and sharp eyes, they were the four adopted sons and daughters most trusted by the Crimson-Blooded Marquis, and also his four sharpest blades.

One of them, carrying a long sword, had a cold and aloof face and a haughty look in his eyes, as if nothing concerned him. He was Fang Guihai, who was famous for his "Heartless Slash".

The other person was tall and straight, with a gentle temperament tinged with melancholy, but with eyes as deep as the sea. He was Ling Tianya, who was skilled in the art of illusion swordsmanship.

The only woman, dressed as a man, was handsome and dashing, holding a folding fan. Her brows revealed shrewdness and competence. She was Shangguan Duoduo, who was in charge of intelligence for the Marquis's mansion and was adept at handling all kinds of situations.

The last person was a burly, taciturn man with bulging muscles, exuding a beast-like aura; his name was Cheng Junfei.

The four remained silent, their gazes occasionally sweeping towards the deep night outside the hall, as if waiting for someone to arrive.

Time passed in a stifling silence until late at night.

Suddenly, a faint light seemed to flash outside the hall, and a figure appeared silently in the center of the hall like a ghost.

The newcomer was dressed in a brocade robe, and his face still showed traces of his former handsome features, but there was a hint of gloom and impatience between his brows. He was none other than Li Wenjie, the former Eighth Prince of Beiyan.

He held the Qionglin Banquet in Beiyan County, intending to make a name for himself and achieve great things, but unexpectedly became the stepping stone for Li Xijun to achieve harmony between heaven and man and become famous throughout the world.

It was also he who later exposed Li Xijun's "prince" identity, intending to use him as a tool to kill him.

But to his utter surprise, Li Xijun not only escaped from the old man with withered bones, but also made great strides forward, and has now achieved success in filming location, with a reputation even greater than before.

Knowing that there was no room for maneuver with Li Xijun, Li Wenjie completely sided with Chidan Shenhou, who was opposed to Li Xijun.

In order to break through as quickly as possible, he did not hesitate to use the dual cultivation secret method of the Hehuan Xuannv Sect, and forcibly broke through to the Outer Realm a month ago.

However, this method ultimately went astray. He only triggered two heavenly tribulations. Although he achieved the Outer Realm, his potential was greatly diminished, and his foundation was far less stable than that of his peers.

Upon appearing, Li Wenjie disregarded formalities, his voice tinged with barely suppressed excitement as he bowed to the Crimson-Blooded Marquis in the main seat and said:

"My lord, good news! The Joyful Union Mystic Maiden Sect has given a clear reply, expressing their willingness to cooperate. The renowned Fairy Muyue, ranked high on the Earthly Ranking, will personally intervene, bringing with her three Outer Realm Grandmasters to assist you in your mission!"

As soon as he said this, all eyes in the hall turned to him.

But Li Wenjie changed the subject, a hint of difficulty and hesitation on his face, and stammered, "But—they have one more condition—"

Cheng Junfei, whose temperament was rather impatient, frowned and snapped, "Just say what your conditions are! Don't beat around the bush!"

Li Wenjie trembled at the shout and hurriedly said, "Fairy Muyue requires that before the matter is completed, we must prepare a martial artist who cultivates lightning-attribute techniques and whose cultivation has reached the third level of the Outer Realm, and give him to them to be refined into a special furnace puppet for their use in cultivating secret techniques."

"A lightning-attribute outer realm martial artist as a furnace?" Shangguan Duoduo closed her folding fan, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes.

Such requirements are not only harsh but also extremely vicious. Once a martial artist is refined into a furnace, he will be unable to live or die, and his soul and cultivation will become someone else's spoils.

The atmosphere in the hall instantly became even more tense and eerie because of this condition.

Seated atop the throne, the valiant Marquis gently tapped his fingers on the sandalwood armrest, producing a dull "tap-tap" sound.

After a moment, he spoke slowly, his voice low and imposing:

"A lightning-attribute external landscape—a furnace puppet? Then I, this Marquis, will grant her wish! But if anything goes wrong, don't blame me for turning ruthless!"