Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The barbarian king Yelü Xiong sat on a tiger-skin chair, his face ashen.

There were more than a dozen people standing in the tent, each with a profound aura, the lowest being a peak Grandmaster. But at this moment, not one of them dared to speak.

In the center of the tent, Yelü Cang lay on a stretcher, his face deathly pale and his breath faint. His dantian was shattered, and his meridians were broken inch by inch. Even if he survived, he would be a cripple.

"Invincible in the East..." Yelü Xiong gritted his teeth, "What a fine 'Invincible in the East'!"

"Your Majesty." An old man dressed in black robes walked in from outside the tent, his voice hoarse, "Although the Wolf King has been defeated, we still have a chance."

Yelü Xiong looked at him: "What are your brilliant ideas, Grand Preceptor?"

The old man in black robes was the barbarian national advisor, named Yelü Xuan, a Grandmaster at the eighth level, who was proficient in strategy and formations.

"Although Dongfang Wudi is strong, he is not without weaknesses."

Yelü Xuan said, "His family is his weakness."

A glint of light flashed in Yelü Xiong's eyes: "You mean...?"

"His eldest son, Dongfang Lingyun, and eldest daughter, Dongfang Mingyue, are both in the capital, and his youngest daughter, Dongfang Youyu, is in the Marquis's residence. None of these three places are places we can touch."

Yelü Xuan said, "But his second son, Dongfang Weiwo, was stationed in Guangling Prefecture in the west. He only had the title of Commander of the Zhenfu Division, and his protection was weak."

"Dongfang Wudi's eldest daughter is a disciple of the Qingyun Holy Land, and she also has the influence of the Weeping Blood Marquis's Mansion in the Imperial City. Who dares to touch her? Whoever does will die."

Yelü Xiong frowned. "But in the east, we are the only ones in the west, far from the capital, which is indeed a potential breakthrough. However, we barbarians cannot enter the Central Plains."

"So we need help," Yelü Xuan said. "The White Lotus Sect."

Yelü Xiong paused for a moment, then asked, "Is the White Lotus Sect willing to intervene?"

"The White Lotus Sect has always maintained contact with us," Yelü Xuan said. "Moreover, they also need our help. An ancient ruin in the Endless Mountains of the west is about to open, and the White Lotus Sect needs us to divert the court's attention in the north. In exchange, they are willing to do something for us."

"Take down Dongfang Weiwo."

Yelü Xiong stood up and paced back and forth in the tent.

"If we take down Dongfang Weiwo, we can threaten Dongfang Wudi. As long as he hesitates on the battlefield, our opportunity will come."

"But is the White Lotus Sect willing to take this risk?" Yelü Xiong stopped in his tracks. "If they touch Dongfang Wudi's son, the Dongfang family won't let it go easily. That old bastard Dongfang Wudi is not someone to be trifled with."

Yelü Xuan laughed: "So the White Lotus Sect won't take action themselves. They'll find a scapegoat, or... stage an 'accident.' Anyway, as long as Dongfang Weiwo is dead or captured, our goal will be achieved. As for how the White Lotus Sect does it, that's their business."

Yelü Xiong thought for a moment and nodded: "Alright, send word to the White Lotus Sect that I agree. I will reward you handsomely once it is done."

"Your Majesty is wise."

Yelü Xuan stepped out of the tent, a barely perceptible smile appearing on his face.

The barbarians and the White Lotus Sect each harbored their own ulterior motives.

But at least at this moment, their goals are aligned.

Late at night, at an abandoned post station outside Guangling Prefecture.

The post station had been abandoned for many years; the roof was mostly broken, and withered vines climbed all over the walls. Moonlight streamed through the damaged roof, illuminating two figures in the courtyard.

One of them wore a dark cloak embroidered with a blooming white lotus in dark gold thread, which shimmered faintly in the moonlight. His face was angular and stern, with eagle-like eyes, slanted eyebrows that swept into his temples, and a faint, cold smile always playing on his lips.

One of the four great Dharma Kings of the White Lotus Sect, the "Netherworld Dharma King," Mingyuan, has reached the fifth level of the Grandmaster realm.

Within the entire thirteen prefectures of the west, this person can roam freely.

The man behind him was half a head shorter, wrapped in a drab gray cloak, his face hidden in shadow, and his voice was extremely low:

"Your Majesty, the Azure Dragon Society has recently seen a surge in power, and Li Chenzhou even personally killed the leader of the Azure Wood Sword Sect. Now, the Azure Dragon Society's four halls and twelve branches are expanding in all directions, and the Blood Nether Sect is eyeing the Azure Wood Sword Sect covetously. The Azure Dragon Temple has remained inactive, observing the situation, neither making an enemy of the Azure Dragon Society nor associating with it, as if waiting for some unexpected change."

The man paused, then continued, "After this defeat, the Green Wood Sword Sect lost its leader and is now holed up in its mountain gates, closing its doors to visitors and losing all its former arrogance. Right now, only the Iron Blood Hall and the Chaotian Palace have ambiguous attitudes, but given the current situation, they certainly wouldn't dare to confront the Azure Dragon Society head-on."

Upon hearing this, the Netherworld Dharma King snorted coldly. He stood with his hands behind his back, his tone full of icy indifference:

"Hmph, just some Green Dragon Society that suddenly appeared out of nowhere! A wild dog suddenly leaps out, barks a few times, and thinks it's a tiger? If it weren't for the checks and balances of the imperial court, and the watchful eyes of the Suspended Mirror Platform and the Embroidered Uniform Guard, I would have personally led the elite of the sect to wipe them out completely and raze their lair to the ground long ago!"

His gaze shifted to the northeast, towards the endless mountains, a deep calculation flashing in his eyes:

"The reason I came to Guangling this time is twofold. First, to settle the old score of the Azure Dragon Society's theft of the Heavenly Origin Medicine of my White Lotus Sect. That was a sacred object of my sect, which was intercepted and taken away by the Azure Dragon Society. If this grudge is not avenged, how can my White Lotus Sect maintain its reputation? But more important is the ancient ruins within the territory of the Azure Dragon Temple in the Endless Mountains."

At this point, the Dharma King lowered his voice slightly, tinged with a secret excitement:

"According to news from within the sect, that ruin will open within a year. It is said that the ruin contains ancient inheritances, and may even contain secrets to break through to the level of Grandmaster. This is the true purpose of my trip."

"Your Majesty is wise," the man in gray bowed. "And what about the Azure Dragon Society...?"

"No rush." ​​The Netherworld King raised his hand, interrupting the gray-robed man, a cruel smile playing on his lips.

"Let them make a scene first. The bigger the commotion, the more uneasy the court will become. Once the Suspended Mirror Terrace and the Embroidered Uniform Guard have them cornered, I'll go collect the bodies. As for that ruin..."

He paused, his gaze deep and unfathomable:

"No one can take it from me."

The man in gray hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Your Majesty, there's another message from headquarters."

"explain."

"We received a message from headquarters instructing us to capture Dongfang Wudi's second son, Dongfang Weiwo, in order to threaten Dongfang Wudi. The barbarians have also agreed, offering thirty cities in the northern border as a bargaining chip."

The smile on the face of the Netherworld Dharma King froze instantly.

He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife as he stared at the man in gray: "What did you say?"

The man in gray took a step back, then forced himself to repeat, "Headquarters ordered us to take down Dongfang Weiwo."

The King of the Underworld remained silent.

A very long silence.

Under the moonlight, his expression shifted between light and shadow, his eyes revealing unpredictable emotions.

"The Dharma King?" the gray-robed man asked cautiously.

"Are those people at headquarters crazy or just plain stupid?" The Netherworld King finally spoke, his voice as cold as ice. "Are they going to use my life for experiments?"

The man in gray asked, puzzled, "Why does the Dharma King say such a thing?"

Do you even know who Dongfang Wudi is?

The Netherworld Dharma King stared at him, enunciating each word clearly, "He is the undisputed number one in the Xuan Tian Dynasty! A Grandmaster at the peak of the ninth level! The one who crippled the Azure Wolf King Yelü Cang with a single palm strike!"

His voice grew louder and louder, filled with barely suppressed anger:

"The Four Kings of the White Lotus Sect may sound impressive, but in front of Dongfang Wudi, we're nothing but a fart! He wouldn't even need to use one move to kill me!"

The man in gray dared not speak.

The Netherworld King took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.

He knew perfectly well why headquarters wanted to do this—the barbarians needed Dongfang Wudi to distract them on the battlefield, and the White Lotus Sect needed the barbarians to restrain the imperial court in the north. The two sides hit it off immediately and used him as a pawn.

If successful, Dongfang Wudi will be hesitant to act rashly, and both the barbarians and the White Lotus Sect will benefit.

If he fails, Dongfang Wudi will be furious and he will be the first to die.

Those people at headquarters didn't care whether he lived or died.

"And then there are the forces behind the scenes."

The Netherworld Dharma King sneered, "They also wanted to test the reaction of the Xuan Tian Dynasty and the strength of the Dongfang family. But they didn't dare to make a move themselves, so they sent me to be cannon fodder."

He turned to look in the direction of the imperial city, his eyes filled with apprehension.

"The Dongfang family has a history of ten thousand years, ranking first among the four great families of the imperial city, with unfathomable resources. Who dares to go to the imperial city to harm the Dongfang family? Who dares to harm the disciples of the Qingyun Holy Land? Who dares to harm the people of the Weeping Blood Marquis's Mansion?"

"No, none of them."

"So they set their sights on Dongfang Weiwo in Guangling Prefecture, because he was the easiest to bully, the farthest from the capital, and had the fewest guards."

"But they forgot—although Dongfang Weiwo isn't in the capital, he's still Dongfang Wudi's son. What will Dongfang Wudi do if they mess with his son?"

"Your Majesty, then we..." the gray-robed man asked tentatively.

The King of the Underworld took a deep breath and made a decision:

"Spread this message."

"Huh?" The man in gray was taken aback.

"Just say the White Lotus Sect is preparing to attack Dongfang Weiwo, and let him go on his own," said the Netherworld Dharma King.

Dongfang Weiwo wasn't stupid. Upon learning this news, he would either return to the capital or find a place to hide. In short, he wouldn't stay in Guangling Prefecture to wait for death.

The man in gray hesitated: "But what about headquarters..."

"Headquarters?" The Netherworld Dharma King sneered. "Those people at headquarters are sitting thousands of miles away, trying to send me to my death with just a few words? I, Mingyuan, have been with the White Lotus Sect for thirty years. How many merits have I accumulated? Why should I be their cannon fodder?"

He waved his hand dismissively: "Do as I say. We will not interfere in Dongfang Wei's affairs. Anyone who dares to interfere, I will be the first to kill them."

The man in gray bowed: "Yes."

The Netherworld King stood with his hands behind his back again, gazing towards the endless mountains.

"As for ancient ruins... that's what we should be concerned about."