Li Huowang scratched his head in frustration. He stared at Xuan Pin before him. He had been explaining for a long time, but it seemed like it had all been for nothing. His temper would have flared long ago if this weren’t his daughter.
“Suisui, focus! This is no time to be distracted! The leader of Fangxian Sect has already pried open Po Daer’s skull!” He walked over and grabbed his daughter’s shoulders, shaking her forcefully.
He had gone through all kinds of trouble to travel to the Tianchen Kingdom, and it was all for what was hidden inside Po Daer’s skull.
“Is that so? That’s great. Let’s go then,” Xuan Pin replied flatly, as if she were merely going out for a meal.
Xuan Pin had finally come to her senses. Li Huowang hurriedly led her out towards the Surveillance Bureau.
The Surveillance Bureau of the Liang Kingdom operated underground. On every previous visit, Li Huowang feared someone would uncover his true identity as a Strayed One. However, things were completely different now.
As Li Huowang led Li Sui through the streets, everyone they passed bowed their heads and made way for them.
The Surveillance Bureau’s prison was located on the lowest level. When they arrived, everyone who needed to be there had already gathered, making the place very crowded.
All of the highest officials of the Great Liang were packed into this dark and damp prison. Their attention was fixed on the severed head of Po Daer, which lay in a vase on the table.
This was the work of the Righteous Monastery. Po Daer no longer needed his body—his head was enough.An elderly Daoist with white hair and a scraggly beard stood opposite Po Daer’s head. He recited incantations and gestured at the spot between Po Daer’s eyebrows.
Li Sui glanced at Gao Zhijian before turning his attention to the Daoist dressed in purple robes. “Now that everyone’s here, recap the situation again.”
The Daoist nodded, turned around, and bowed to Gao Zhijian. “Your Majesty, the Tianchen Kingdom has many points of interest. Where would you like this humble servant to begin?”
Gao Zhijian sat on his dragon throne, thinking for a moment. “How many soldiers and generals does the Tianchen Kingdom have?”
“None.”
“Hmm?” Gao Zhijian’s eyes widened slightly.
“The Tianchen Kingdom doesn’t even have a court, so naturally, there are no soldiers or generals,” Li Huowang said.
“Their military forces are made up entirely of bandits, outlaws, and robbers. Don’t underestimate them just because they’re bandits. They’re quite powerful. The group that tried to steal my sword last time were bandits.”
“Their military forces consist solely of bandits, outlaws, and robbers. However, don’t underestimate them—they’re quite powerful. The people who tried to steal my sword were a group of bandits.”
“No court? Does that mean the Tianchen Kingdom doesn’t even have an emperor?” the Imperial Preceptor of the Liang Kingdom asked.
The person from the Fangxian Sect shook his head and continued, “There is no royal family, but the Tianchen Kingdom has a patron.
“From Po Daer’s memories, I learned that this patron has absolute authority there. No one dares to defy him, and that patron was the one who proposed seeking revenge against Heavenly Mater.” ŘАℕΟβЁṢ
“A patron? What’s this person’s name?” Gao Zhijian clenched his fists. He would finally know who his opponent was.
“He is called Zuoqiu Yong. Po Daer only caught a glimpse of him from afar. His status was too low to speak with the patron.”
“Hmm. And how powerful is this patron?” Gao Zhijian asked.
“Uh…” The Daoist glanced at Po Daer’s head. “Your Majesty, Po Daer doesn’t know. From what he saw, the patron’s strength is unfathomable. He has never shown his full abilities.”
“He must be incredibly powerful. According to Po Daer’s memories, the entire army of Unspeakable may be under his command. The patron might be a Tuan Huang noble who betrayed the Heavenly Mater.”
Li Huowang’s words made Gao Zhijian furrow his brows in confusion, “Senior Li, what is this army of Unspeakable you’re talking about? And what do you mean by a Tian Huang noble?”
After giving a brief explanation, Li Huowang continued, “Zuoqiu Yong orchestrated everything that has happened. He and his people are the main force behind the current conflict. In fact, it could be said that the entire plan to deal with the Heavenly Mater was his idea.
“He may not be an emperor, but his authority in the Tianchen Kingdom surpasses that of any emperor.”
Gao Zhijian’s face darkened. His enemy this time was someone who could touch the Heavenly Daos. If they were to fight, there would be bloodshed on a massive scale, similar to the conflict with the Dharma Sect.
The weight of this realization hung heavily in the room, not only on Gao Zhijian. The atmosphere grew heavy.
Xuan Pin said, “Your Majesty, there’s no need to panic. We haven’t reached that point yet. They still haven’t managed to steal Li Huowang’s sword, so they can’t cross over yet.”
Gao Zhijian’s expression lightened slightly, but Li Huowang’s face grew darker.
He reached behind him and drew his spine sword. “Zhuge Yuan is not the only Twisted One in the Great Qi. While they are targeting me, they’ve also sent people to look for other ways in.
“Based on Po Daer’s memories, even if they don’t get my sword, it won’t be long before they find another Twisted One.”
Li Huowang’s words were like a rock that weighed heavily on their minds. If they were watching from the sidelines before, they were now directly in the line of fire.
Li Sui finally understood why her father had been so anxious earlier, and what he had meant by the sky was falling.
Gao Zhijian frowned deeply, clinging to a sliver of hope as he asked, “Brother Li, you managed to hold off Tianchen’s forces on your own in the Great Qi. As long as you’re here, they surely won’t be able to cross over so easily.”
“Me? Just me?”
Gao Zhijian nodded. “Senior Li, whether it was Shai Zi or god Yu’er, they were no match for you. Surely you can handle them again.”
Li Huowang had always reassured Gao Zhijian, whether during their travels or after he ascended to the throne. As long as Li Huowang was around, he felt at ease, regardless of how dire the situation was.
Li Huowang gave him an odd look. “What are you thinking? Have you forgotten what I just said? The Heavenly Mater was torn apart by the people from the Tianchen Kingdom!”
Li Huowang was not confident, having only gained a slight advantage with his Doulao incarnation. He understood very well the type of enemy he faced this time.
Li Huowang pointed to his chest. “Do you think the Heavenly Mater was stronger, or am I stronger? Don’t forget, they still have the Heavenly Dao that belonged to the Heavenly Mater!”
Everyone fell silent as the atmosphere grew even heavier. Each person pondered how to break the deadlock.
After a long pause, the Liang Kingdom’s Imperial Preceptor, Huangfu Tiangang, said, “There’s no need for an all-out fight. They want to take down the White Lotus Sect, not destroy the world as the Dharma Sect did.”
“If they want the White Lotus Sect, why don’t we just hand it over to them?”
Whoosh! Xuan Pin swiftly appeared behind Li Huowang, spreading her wide red Daoist robe and tightly embracing him.
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