Zongwu: Eavesdropping on the inner voices, the female warriors have become strange

Chen Liu thought about it carefully.

Killing Wanwan is definitely not an option. She's Zhu Yuyan's beloved daughter, the next generation successor to the Yinkui Sect. If I kill her, Zhu Yuyan will definitely go mad. I don't have the strength to withstand the crazy revenge of Zhu Yuyan and the Yinkui Sect right now, even with Yuyan.

[The Yinkui Sect is a powerful sect in the Great Sui Dynasty that can rival the Cihang Jingzhai, and its strength is comparable to theirs. Moreover, it is a demonic sect that will do anything to achieve its goals. If they target and hunt me, my life will be in vain.]

"If I can't kill her, then I can only let her go. But Wanwan is now targeting Shi Feixuan. She might be trying to sneak into my house and use the opportunity to assassinate her and get rid of a mortal enemy."

Shi Feixuan: ...

Wanwan: ...

There are so many inner dramas.

"I can't kill her, but I can't let her kill Shi Feixuan either. I'm hoping to borrow the Heshi Bi from Shi Feixuan in the future to see if I can replenish my system's energy."

Chen Liu thought to himself, "How about chasing her away? But how? Since her goal is to kill Shi Feixuan, she definitely won't leave easily. Or should I just reveal her identity? No, if Shi Feixuan knew her identity, she might kill her directly..."

[Oh, damn, I'm so stupid. I can't kill her. I can't let Shi Feixuan do it. If Shi Feixuan killed Wanwan, then it was Cihang Jingzhai who killed her. What does it have to do with me? But I can't let her kill someone in my house. Otherwise, even if it wasn't my own doing, the Yinkui Sect might hold a grudge and retaliate. I have to send her out of the mansion first, and then find a chance to secretly reveal Wanwan's identity to Shi Feixuan.]

Chen Liu felt no pity for killing Wanwan. Wanwan was a perverse, vicious, and cunning woman, capable of killing people in the heat of the moment. The term "femme fatale" applied to women like her.

Shi Feixuan was behind Chen Liu and winked at Wanwan.

Wanwan: ...

Wang Yuyan winked at Lianxing, then stepped forward, took Chenliu's hand, and said, "My dear, it's getting late, and we should rest. Let Feixuan and Yuyan take care of this girl for the time being."

Seeing this, Wanwan was terrified. Was Wang Yuyan planning to hand her over to Shi Feixuan? How could she possibly survive in the hands of the women from Cihang Jingzhai? Instead of that, she might as well just tell Chen Liu her identity directly. After all, Chen Liu wouldn't dare offend her Yinkui Sect. As long as Chen Liu knew she was the Saint of the Yinkui Sect, he wouldn't dare let Shi Feixuan kill her.

Just as Wanwan was about to speak, Lianxing took advantage of Wang Yuyan attracting Chen Liu's attention and pulled him away, and instantly released two streams of true energy to seal Wanwan's mute point and acupoints.

Chapter 231 Wanwan (Part )

The next morning, Chen Liu seemed refreshed because he had finally opened up another extraordinary meridian this morning and broken through to the late stage of the innate realm.

Less than a year had passed since his time travel, and he had gone from an ordinary person to a late Xiantian master. At his current cultivation speed, it would only take two or three months at most for him to open up all the eight extraordinary meridians and reach the peak of the Xiantian realm.

Moreover, he already possessed the consciousness and abilities of a Grandmaster at the Xiantian stage, meaning the Grandmaster's threshold wouldn't hold him back. Many Xiantian masters were stuck at this level, unable to break through, sometimes even failing to reach the Grandmaster stage in their entire lives. But as soon as his cultivation reached that level, he would be able to break through immediately. This was something countless Xiantian masters would only wish for, so how could Chen Liu not be delighted?

However, when it was time for breakfast, Chen Liu saw that Shi Feixuan and Wanwan seemed to have become good sisters, looking very happy, which made him speechless.

[This Wanwan is quite capable. She was able to deceive Shi Feixuan completely in just one night. She is indeed worthy of being the seductive woman of the Yinkui Sect.]

Wanwan: ...

Shi Feixuan: ...

[I have to find a way to remind Shi Feixuan as soon as possible, otherwise, Shi Feixuan might get killed by Wanwan at any time.]

Shi Feixuan and Wanwan rolled their eyes secretly and said, "You told me (her) a long time ago."

Shortly after breakfast, Princess Yunluo brought her personal maidservant Xiao Nu to the Chen residence again, clamoring to play mahjong. Ever since mahjong became popular, Princess Yunluo's interest in it surpassed her martial arts training.

There were few entertainment activities in ancient times. Nowadays, most women's entertainment activities are swinging and outings. Some can also play Cuju, chess, Chuiwan, Touhu, etc. Therefore, Chen Liu took out mahjong in advance and let Wang Yuyan and others play it at home when they have nothing to do.

Mahjong's popularity in the Chinese cultural world stems from its inherent fun value, as well as its role as a game of intelligence and gambling. Similar games like Majiang and Domino exist today, though their rules and gameplay aren't as sophisticated.

As soon as Chen Liu took out the mahjong, it immediately aroused the interest of Wang Yuyan, Shui Sheng, Jiang Yuyan, and Princess Yunluo. Princess Yunluo even took a set of mahjong back to the palace to give to the empress dowager. Now the empress dowager is having a lot of fun playing with the emperor's concubines every day in the palace.

As Wang Yuyan, Princess Yunluo, and Jiang Yuyan took out their mahjong and began playing, and Wanwan watched them with great interest, Chen Liu's thoughts began to wander again.

Wanwan didn't come to Daming just to watch Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng duel, right? While a duel between Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng might be appealing to swordsmen, it probably wouldn't be that appealing to Wanwan, who practices the Heavenly Demonic Art.

[Could it be that she has another purpose in coming to Daming? ]

It's possible. The Ming Dynasty also has Cihang Jingzhai, but it doesn't have the Yinkui Sect. The Yinkui Sect has been battling Cihang Jingzhai for years, and the battles have been evenly matched. Naturally, they don't want to see Cihang Jingzhai flourish in the Ming Dynasty, while they can't interfere. Therefore, it's understandable that they want to expand their influence to the Ming Dynasty and continue their struggle with Cihang Jingzhai there.

Sects ruled by women, such as Cihang Jingzhai and the Yinkui Sect, are known for their tendency to meddle in the imperial court. During the Ming Dynasty, Cihang Jingzhai maintained a good relationship with the imperial court. In the Sui Dynasty, Cihang Jingzhai even attempted to choose an emperor on behalf of Heaven, supporting an obedient and supportive Buddhist emperor. It's as if they were Heaven's spokespersons, demanding they choose the emperor, and aiming to override the court. This is truly unbelievable.

Shi Feixuan: ...

Shi Feixuan was somewhat bewildered. Hadn't Cihang Jingzhai chosen the emperor on behalf of Heaven to save the people from disaster and liberate all living things? How could Chen Liu's words have made it seem like Cihang Jingzhai was trying to override the imperial court?

Wanwan almost burst out laughing. After discovering Shi Feixuan was also at the Chen residence, she had initially thought Chen Liu was closer to Cihang Jingzhai. It turned out that in Chen Liu Dao's eyes, Cihang Jingzhai wasn't a good place either. But then again, none of those sanctimonious nuns at Cihang Jingzhai were good people.

[The Yinkui Sect even personally supported its disciples to join the struggle for supremacy, hoping to bring the world into their own hands.]

It's a shame these women don't understand the cruelty of politics. Could they control the emperor just because they wanted to? No emperor could tolerate anyone or anything threatening them. Even their own sons or brothers would be utterly annihilated if they threatened their throne. Women like Cihang Jingzhai, who dared to claim to be the chosen emperor, were the very people the court wanted to eliminate as soon as possible.

If you're unhappy with this emperor today, you say he's an unwise ruler and want to be chosen by Heaven. Tomorrow, if you find that emperor doesn't serve your interests, you'll want to be chosen by Heaven again. What emperor could tolerate this? Whenever an emperor gains control of the world, the first people they want to eliminate are these kinds of people. This is why, after Li Yuan gained control of the world with the help of Buddhism, he immediately abandoned Buddhism and embraced Taoism, even recognizing Laozi as his ancestor.

Shi Feixuan: ...

Shi Feixuan felt a little confused. Is this true?

Cihang Jingzhai had indeed long ago decided to support the Li family to become the ruler of the world. This was laid out shortly after Li Shimin was born, when Ning Daoqi commented on Li Shimin's "helping the world and pacifying the people." However, Shi Feixuan was unaware of this. She was now a fool, fooled by her master, and still believed that what she was doing was for the benefit of the people.

Wanwan pursed her lips, then pursed them again, enduring the pain with great difficulty. Although she knew from Chen Liu's inner voice that Cihang Jingzhai had won in the end, they had also lost.

Wanwan thought to herself, "Our Yinkui Sect is smart. We support our own disciples in their quest for world domination. Only then will the world we gain belong to us. Cihang Jingzhai is a fool. Do they think that if they support others to obtain the throne, they will be obeyed? What a nonsense."

[In Huang Lao Da's "Sun and Moon in the Sky", Wan Wan also trained a female disciple who became the only female emperor in Chinese history.]

Wanwan was overjoyed when she heard this. Did my Yinkui sect win in the end?

However, after Wu Meiniang gained control of the world, she immediately issued a decree to exterminate demons. This dealt a devastating blow to all the demonic sects, including the Yin Kui Sect. The Yin Kui Sect was nearly wiped out, with only Bai Qing'er's branch surviving. In a sense, Wan Wan, who had nurtured Wu Meiniang to become the ruler of the world and intended for the Yin Kui Sect to rule, was the culprit behind the near-extinction of the Yin Kui Sect.

Wanwan: ...

It turns out that even the disciples couldn’t believe it.

Shi Feixuan glanced at the dazed Wanwan, her body trembled, and she pursed her lips again and again.

By the time of "Turning Clouds and Rain," Bai Qing'er's faction had already split into the Zunxin Sect and the Tianming Sect. Strictly speaking, their relationship with the Yinkui Sect seems to have become less relevant. Furthermore, the Tianming Sect has become a tool for manipulation by ambitious individuals.

Since the Yinkui Sect wants to enter the Ming Dynasty, they will likely seek help from the imperial court. However, the current Ming Dynasty court will not abandon Cihang Jingzhai and choose a demonic sect like the Yinkui Sect. Therefore, if they want to infiltrate the Ming Dynasty, they can only ask the Ming Dynasty to replace an emperor who supports them.

[Damn it! The Prince of Nan is rebelling. It's very likely that the Yinkui Sect is involved!]

Wanwan: ...

Chapter 232 Murong Xian (Part )

Wanwan was shocked.

The reason why the Yinkui Sect participated in the rebellion of the King of the South and the Prince of the South was naturally because the King of the South and the Prince of the South promised that after the rebellion was accomplished, they would eliminate the influence of Cihang Jingzhai from the court and let the Yinkui Sect replace Cihang Jingzhai's position.

This matter is still extremely secretive. Few people know about it, and those who know it will not disclose it. Unexpectedly, Chen Liu actually guessed it.

If Chen Liu knew about this, wouldn't that mean their plan had been leaked? You have to understand that Chen Liu not only has connections with Lu Xiaofeng and Ximen Chuxue, but also has close ties to the Ming imperial family. Not only did he help expose Zhu Wusi's rebellion plot, but he also has a close relationship with the Ming emperor's sister, Princess Yunluo. Princess Yunluo visits his home daily. There are even rumors that Princess Yunluo has taken a fancy to him and wants him to be her consort. Furthermore, Princess Yunluo is also here, and she can hear Chen Liu's thoughts!

What shocked Wanwan most was that Chen Liu had long known about the Prince of the Southern Kingdom's rebellion. His knowledge of it meant that Princess Yunluo knew too. And if Princess Yunluo knew, the Emperor of the Ming Dynasty surely knew too. Yet, the current Emperor remained silent, continuing to allow Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng to duel. It was likely that he had already dug a trap, waiting for those who supported the Prince of the Southern Kingdom and his Prince of the Southern Kingdom's rebellion to fall into it.

Wanwan remained calm on the surface, but she was terribly anxious. She had to get the news back to her master. She absolutely couldn't let her Yinkui Sect fall into this trap again. Otherwise, all the Yinkui Sect masters who had come to the Ming Dynasty might be wiped out. The others wouldn't matter, but if her master died, the Yinkui Sect would be in chaos.

Wanwan wanted to pass the news back, but Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao wouldn't let her. Cihang Jingzhai had been battling the Yinkui Sect for so many years, and now, finally encountering them, they were about to step into a trap set by the Ming Emperor. How could they escape so easily?

Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao even took on the responsibility of "protecting" Wanwan, much to her despair. When her martial arts were still intact, she couldn't defeat Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao together, and at best could only tie with one of them. But now that her martial arts had been sealed by Lianxing, turning her into an ordinary person, how could she possibly escape the "protection" of Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao?

As for seducing Chen Liu, forget it. There are so many beautiful women around Chen Liu, and they know her background. How can she seduce him?

Under the strict defense of Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao, September 15th soon arrived, the day when Ximen Chuxue and Ye Gucheng would duel.

As expected, that day, just as Chen Liu had suspected, the palace was under martial law. To prevent those cunning and treacherous people from using their martial arts skills to enter the palace, a large number of crossbow troops were stationed on the palace walls. If anyone entered the palace without the emperor's permission, they would be immediately shot into a hornet's nest by the palace guards.

In addition to the Imperial Guards, the four secret agents and masters of the Hulong Villa were also transferred to the palace to ensure that no one could break into the palace.

The palace's move naturally caused an uproar among the Jianghu people, but it was of no use. Even if they approached the palace wall for just two hundred steps, the guards on the wall would immediately open fire without mercy. Even if they managed to get past the guards, there were still spies and experts from the Hulong Villa waiting for them.

Only martial arts sects with good relations with the Ming imperial family, such as Wudang, Shaolin, and Cihang Jingzhai, were allowed into the palace to watch the competition. Even the Emei sect was barred from entering, leaving Nun Miejue nearly furious, but under the gleaming crossbow bolts, she could only retreat. As for the other sects, forget it.

Of course, Chen Liu could enter, but he couldn't bring everyone into the palace. The Emperor of the Ming Dynasty only gave him ten places, and that was because of his contributions to the Ming Dynasty and his close relationship with Princess Yunluo.

Chen Liu and Wang Yuyan took two of the ten spots, Lian Xing one, Shui Sheng one, Zhou Zhiruo one, Wan Wan one, Jiang Yuyan one, and Yue Buqun and Ning Zhongze two, for a total of nine spots. Shi Feixuan and Qin Mengyao didn't need Chen Liu's spot; they were members of Cihang Jingzhai and could enter on their own.

Shui Sheng was leaving the remaining spot for her father. After being denied entry to the palace, Nun Miejue attempted to take Zhou Zhiruo's spot, but was flatly rejected by Chen Liu. What a joke! Nun Miejue entered the palace intending to kill Ximen Chuxue after his sword fight. Chen Liu didn't care whether Nun Miejue lived or died, but wouldn't she be risking anything by using her spot to cause trouble? Besides, Chen Liu and Lu Xiaofeng were friends.

After failing to get a spot, Nun Miejue was naturally very angry. Not only did she call Zhou Zhiruo away, she also hated Chen Liu.

"Brother Chenliu, Sister Yuyan, here, here!" As soon as Chenliu, Wang Yuyan and other girls, as well as Yue Buqun, Ning Zhongze, Shui Dai and others were led into the palace, Princess Yunluo jumped and waved at them.

At Princess Yunluo's side, there was a girl about her own age. Seeing Chen Liu, the girl couldn't help but feel curious. After all, rumors had recently circulated in the capital that Princess Yunluo had fallen for a man, but because he already had a fiancée, the imperial family disapproved of the marriage. Yet, Princess Yunluo continued to frequent the man's home, seemingly determined to be with him. She was also curious about the kind of man her best friend had fallen for.

Chen Liu was handsome and tall, a good match for Princess Yunluo. But when she saw the women around him, a look of amazement crossed her face. So many beauties! No wonder they looked down on Yunluo. The girl unconsciously gave Yunluo a look of pity.

"Brother Chen Liu, Sister Yu Yan, Sister Lian Xing, let me introduce you. This is my best friend, Murong Xian." Princess Yunluo had no idea Xu Yeyue was pitying her, and she wasn't attracted to Chen Liu, eh! Probably. As for the recent rumors about her and Chen Liu in the capital, she didn't care much.

Princess Yunluo was still in her playful phase. She simply found Chen Liu's home fun, and Chen Liu was special; she could learn many secrets from him. For example, the sword fight between Ye Gucheng and Ximen Chuxue was a conspiracy to usurp the throne, and the Yinkui Sect's collaboration with the Prince of the Southern King. She had already shared all this information with her brother, using an excuse naturally devised by Chen Liu. His brother, in turn, had dug a trap, entrapping the Southern King's faction, Ye Gucheng, and the Yinkui Sect.

Princess Yunluo was praised and rewarded by the Ming Emperor. Although the Emperor was still reluctant to let her stay at the Chen Mansion, he relaxed his control over her and allowed her to go as long as she was going to Chenliu.

The Ming Emperor certainly wouldn't want to miss out on such a talented person as Chen Liu. However, it seemed unrealistic to keep him in the Ming Dynasty as an official. So, the only way to keep him here was to make him a county magistrate of the Ming Dynasty.

Chapter 233 Murong Xian (Part )

【Murong Xian? 】

Chen Liu was slightly surprised when he heard Princess Yunluo introduce the girl next to her as Murong Xian.

[People from the Murong family of the Ming Dynasty, I wonder what their relationship is with the Murong family of the Song Dynasty?]

Murong Xian's sister Murong Shu married the current emperor, so it was not surprising that Murong Xian appeared in the palace.

[Speaking of which, did Murong Xian know Xiao Yu'er? This girl and her sister were quite pitiful. Because they had pure Yin bodies, they were drained of their internal energy by Liu Xi, their hair turned white overnight, and they both died.]

Murong Xian: ...

What the hell?

Princess Yunluo glanced at Murong Xian out of the corner of her eye and blinked.

"Sister Xian'er, I haven't seen you for many years. I didn't expect you to have grown so beautiful." Wang Yuyan suddenly smiled.

"You..." Murong Xian looked at Wang Yuyan, a little puzzled. Suddenly, she remembered that Princess Yunluo had called Yuyan "Sister." She quickly asked, "Are you Sister Yuyan from the Gusu Wang family of the Great Song Dynasty?"

"It's me." Wang Yuyan said with a smile.