Longzang

Chapter 1051 Very Cooperative
"Hahahaha! How could an immortal fall victim to such a trap? Can't you even have basic foresight and the ability to turn misfortune into good fortune? Or is there some inherent flaw in your cultivation method...?"

Before Prince Ji could finish speaking, he suddenly received an invisible slap to the face, which sent him spinning through the air, knocking over the screen and shelves before crashing hard into the wall.

Prince Ji let out a "heh," spat out two bloody teeth, and then burst into laughter, laughing heartily.

Cangwu lifted Prince Ji up and said, word by word, "Don't think that just because I can't kill you, you can do whatever you want! I can't kill you, but I can torture you for a very, very long time."

King Ji chuckled, "I do have the ability to commit suicide. Why don't you just imprison me and replace me with an obedient substitute on the throne? Wouldn't that be easier? Want to give it a try?"

Cangwu's face was extremely grim. Throughout history, immortals had always been extremely cautious about the rulers of the Nine Kingdoms, avoiding contact whenever possible. Everyone was speculating that the Martial Ancestor had countless backup plans, one of which might be to ensure the dignity of the Nine Kingdoms' royal families.

Cangwu was furious just now and slapped Prince Ji, but he already felt deep regret.

He barely suppressed his anger and said, "You want immortality, and I want to complete the task I have to do. They are not in conflict, so there's no need for us to be like this. From today onwards, I will give you the face you deserve. How about that? If you really don't want immortality, then just pretend I didn't say anything."

Prince Ji wiped the blood from his mouth with his sleeve, said nothing, and struggled to his feet. Cangwu, watching from afar, subtly moved his sleeve, and Prince Ji stood up, his injuries inexplicably healing by half.

A dark gray pill floated in front of King Ji.

"what is this?"

"The Soul-Driving Pill is your compensation. After taking it, it can destroy the reincarnated soul and allow the body to grow its own soul, which is equivalent to the person who originally occupied the body returning. You can give it to your favorite child. If he has a reincarnated soul possessing him, you can destroy it and send him to reincarnation."

"What's the price?"

"I was seriously ill and have been weak for three years," Cangwu said.

Prince Ji grabbed the pill and put it away, smiling as he asked, "Any more?"

Cangwu said irritably, "Do you think such an elixir, capable of destroying a reincarnated body without harming the original's soul, is easy to obtain? It requires karma as a catalyst to be refined. And I've only obtained three karmic connections that can serve as catalysts!"

Prince Ji then said, "I will cooperate fully. When the great undertaking is accomplished, could you give me another one?"

Cangwu hesitated for a moment before reluctantly nodding.

Prince Ji then walked to the door of the study and said, "Someone, tidy up inside."

The palace maids and servants entered in single file, heads bowed, none daring to speak or look around, for fear of seeing something they shouldn't.

Prince Ji walked through the inner palace, and after a while entered a magnificent hall. Inside the hall, a little boy with delicate features was quietly reading a book.

Upon seeing the little boy, King Ji's face softened with affection, and he walked over. The little boy quickly rose and bowed, addressing him as "Father." His voice was clear and melodious, and his demeanor elegant; he was a delight to behold.

The boy noticed the wounds on Prince Ji's face and asked in surprise, "Father, what happened to you? Should we summon the imperial physician?"

Prince Ji smiled and said, "Your father went to the celestial realm to obtain this elixir, and was slightly injured in the process. If you take it, it will improve your physical constitution."

The boy's face lit up with joy as he took the pill, about to swallow it, when Prince Ji stopped him, saying, "This pill must be taken with strong liquor."

Prince Ji took out a bottle of strong liquor from his sleeve and handed it to the boy. The boy put the pill in his mouth, took two large gulps of the liquor, and swallowed it. Instantly, a flush rose on the boy's face, as if he were drunk.

He swayed, his vision blurry, and suddenly realized that Prince Ji was already in tears!

"Father, you..." The boy suddenly coughed violently and then vomited a mouthful of black blood!

The boy stared in astonishment at the black blood on the ground, then his face suddenly contorted into a hideous grimace, as if another person's face had appeared on his own. He gritted his teeth and said, "You wretched creature! How dare you harm me?" King Ji wept uncontrollably, his face calm. He said, "Ancestors, you should have died long ago. Why did you linger and insist on harming my son? Now that you've all passed away, are you happy?"

The boy's face was extremely distorted. Beneath his youthful face, there seemed to be an aged face trying to break free, but it was trapped inside the body and could not escape no matter what.

Two faces alternated repeatedly until finally the aged face forced its way out, squeezing the boy's face into a corner, making him look incredibly pained. The aged face seemed to know there was no hope, so it burst into a tirade of vicious, sinister, and hysterical curses.

Prince Ji simply stared at the boy's face, which had been squeezed to the size of a fist, and listened quietly to the curses. After a few breaths, the curses gradually subsided, the boy's body stiffened completely, and several streams of clear water flowed from his nose and ears.

His face still bore two strange features.

Prince Ji then took off his outer robe, gently wrapped it around the boy's body, and held him in his arms, saying, "Someone come here!"

Several men in black appeared silently and knelt before Prince Ji.

"An assassin broke into the palace and killed the Crown Prince. The palace eunuchs and maids were all executed for dereliction of duty!"

Several men in black dispersed like ghosts, then more than ten screams rang out outside the hall, and then there was silence.

Cangwu appeared silently, glanced at the boy's corpse in King Ji's arms, frowned slightly, and said, "This can be considered a choice... Let's cooperate well in the future. We need to eliminate the Great Wilderness Spear Saint's rebel army first, and not let him grow too powerful."

"Not performing anymore?"

Cangwu said, "Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. We should strike him with lightning speed now."

Prince Ji said, "My military tally is in your hands. You can fight however you want. Why ask me?"

Cangwu hesitated for a moment before saying, "From now on, I will inform you of all major decisions. The frontline arrangements are complete. I'm going to Guantun County now to take a look and see what's going on. Would you like to come with me?"

……

On the banks of the Ning River, hundreds of thousands of government troops were setting up camp and resting. At this moment, a giant eagle swooped down from the clouds, landed in the military camp, and handed a letter bearing the seal of a military commander to Xiao Jingyuan.

Upon opening the military order, the old general suddenly widened his eyes, looked at it several times, and after confirming that the aura on the military seal was correct, he ordered the camp to be broken up and the troops to cross the river on the spot.

The current here is quite swift, and with insufficient ferries, progress is extremely difficult. Meanwhile, a group of Dharma-image Daoist generals float in the air, watching helplessly. In the eyes of the government troops, helping mortal warriors would be beneath their dignity.

Xiao Jingyuan frowned and shouted, "All officers, cross the river at once! Anyone who dares not to participate, no matter who their father is, will be court-martialed on the spot!"

The order was passed down, but the army remained slow and sluggish. Many officers were unwilling and just dawdled around, putting on a show.

Xiao Jingyuan was furious and immediately beheaded three of the slowest-moving, most powerful Dao Foundation cultivators. Only then did all the officers dare not be negligent and exert their full strength. With the Dao Foundation cultivators propelling the boat, a ferry could cross the river in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Upstream, rebel troops also began crossing the river.

Less than a hundred miles from Ningshui, near a grove of trees, stood a peculiar camp, where the Great Wilderness Spear Saint's troops were stationed. The camp was eerily quiet; the surrounding sentries remained unresponsive, and most of the soldiers were asleep, their armor removed. Several thousand auxiliary infantry were teaching surrendered rebel and government troops how to feed their horses and maintain their armor.

Several tents in the main camp were still lit, and the four grandsons, four deputy generals, and Chen Daolin were gathered around a map, studying the next military strategy. Wei Yuan had returned to Guantun County to handle government affairs for the past two days, and they were temporarily leading this force. However, everyone knew that the Dharma Aspect cultivator, who had been sitting silently to the side, was the real leader.

At this moment, two large armies, one from the south and one from the north, swiftly advanced, their forces aimed directly at the military camp. However, the morale of these armies was completely concealed by some extraordinary means, and the generals in the camp remained unaware of their presence.

(End of this chapter)