Longzang

Chapter 689 Tonight, the Wind and Snow Are Blowing
It's quiet at night.

Wei Yuan walked slowly along the main road towards the palace. At this moment, snow was falling heavily, and all was quiet. On this snowy night, the light was as bright as a full moon in the sky.

He walked slowly, leaving clear footprints behind him, which were then gradually filled in by the heavy snow.

Under the stone archway at the intersection ahead, an old man leaned against the wall, holding a pipe. As he puffed out smoke, a tiny spark of light flickered in the snowy night.

Wei Yuan walked along the main street toward the archway. Each step coincided with the moment the starlight began to shine.

The old man finally looked up and said, "This road is blocked. Let's take another one."

Wei Yuan said calmly, "There were originally many paths forward, and it wasn't necessary to take this one. But now, I only have one path to take."

The old man said, "The world is vast; where can't we go?"

“I could have gone to other places, but there are always those who are blind to my wisdom and want to give me life advice. So now, although there are countless paths ahead, I only want to take this one.”

The old man said slowly, "Young man, being too competitive is not a good thing."

Wei Yuan said, "Whether one is good or not depends solely on oneself. With my talent and achievements, why should I be as cautious as an ordinary person? Wouldn't that be a waste of my precious time?"

The old man sighed, "The strongest things are easily broken. A tree that stands out in the forest is vulnerable to the wind..."

Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yuan produced a strange long spear, then took out a bullet, loaded it with a click, and chambered it.

The gun is a good gun, but that's all.

The aura emanating from that bullet sent a chill down the old man's spine. He suddenly remembered something, his pupils contracted sharply, and he slowly put down his pipe.

Wei Yuan then took out the Demon Blade July, attached it to the bottom of the spear barrel, and dragged the spear along as he walked towards the palace. The tip of the blade sliced ​​through the snow, leaving a scorch mark as if it had been burned by fire.

As Wei Yuan drew closer, the old man finally extinguished his pipe and stepped aside.

He squinted, watching Wei Yuan's figure gradually disappear into the snow and into the majestic palace. Suddenly, the old man felt a pang of irritation at Wei Yuan's retreating figure and couldn't help but rub his sore eyes.

Suddenly someone behind him said, "How come the dignified Great Evolution Illusionary World True Lord is dressed in such commoner's attire?"

The old man slowly turned around and saw a woman in red standing across the street, holding a soft silk umbrella, as if she were standing in the spring rain of Jiangnan.

"Yuan, Jin?" The old man's voice trembled slightly.

The woman in red stood quietly, seemingly unaffected by the world's conflicts, as if they were merely entangled at her fingertips.

The old man suddenly felt some discomfort in his eyes again, rubbed them with his sleeve, and said slowly, "So it was you who was guarding him. So you were guarding such a person. Good, good, good!"

He said "good" several times, and suddenly let out a long laugh. The sound was clear and melodious, soaring straight to the sky. Then the world around him changed, and countless stars appeared.

He stepped off into the starlight, and in that instant, his silhouette transformed from a humble old man into an incomparably handsome and elegant young gentleman, though only for a moment.

The woman in red finally turned her head, looked at the dissipating stars, and then headed towards the palace.

On this snowy night, the palace was utterly silent. Everywhere, the pavilions, towers, and eaves were covered in a foot of snow; the winding corridors, the artificial hills, and the ponds were all frozen solid. The vast palace was devoid of lights and human voices; only the sound of falling snow could be heard.

Wei Yuan walked through the snow to the front of Chunhua Palace, pushed open the courtyard gate, went inside, and then closed the gate behind him.

The moment the gate closed, suddenly fresh blood appeared out of nowhere and splattered on it! The blood splashed onto the white ground like blooming plum blossoms.

Wei Yuan walked through the courtyard and climbed the steps.

Finally, people appeared in the courtyard. The palace maids and eunuchs were covered in snow, and it was unclear how long they had been standing there. They slowly turned their heads with stiff movements, looked at Wei Yuan, and revealed eerie smiles.

Wei Yuan swung his spear, and the demonic blade, July, at its tip suddenly vanished, reappearing covered in blood. With a flick of his wrist, Wei Yuan sent a string of blood droplets flying from the blade, leaving a bloody trail on the courtyard wall.

All the palace maids and eunuchs froze, then collapsed silently. Suddenly, a palace maid's head fell off and rolled to Wei Yuan's feet.

Her face was filled with horror and confusion as she exclaimed, "You... how could you possibly find my true soul?!"

Wei Yuan did not answer, but simply stepped on the man's head and crushed it.

He would not explain that Ji Liuli had personally set up the array with the Heavenly Mystery Palace's treasure artifact, and with the blessing of numerous immortal plants, his luck had reached a terrifying level, with an endless abyss surrounding him within three feet.

For assassins who make a living by ambushing and disguising themselves, getting too close to Wei Yuan is tantamount to suicide. Even if Wei Yuan were to walk normally, he could very well step on and kill an assassin who is pretending to be an ant.

Wei Yuan pushed open the door of Chunhua Palace and finally stepped into a warm and welcoming space.

At this moment, in a secret hall of the Crown Prince's residence, the Crown Prince sat at the head of the table, surrounded by four grand chairs on each side, where eight old men of different appearances sat.

Dozens of bronze lamps were scattered across the floor in the center of the secret hall, most of which were now extinguished. Only two distinctly different ancient lamps in the very center still flickered with candlelight, but one of them was gradually dimming and turning into an ordinary flame.

The Crown Prince's face was already extremely pale. Seeing the change in the ancient lamp, he couldn't help but ask, "What does this mean? Is he dead too?"

One of the prince's companions said, "Illusory World True Lord is fine; he has simply left the royal city."

"What?! He's gone?" The Crown Prince's voice suddenly rose, and he stood up abruptly, screaming, "I set up eleven lines of defense, dozens of hidden points, and countless top assassins, how could I not stop Wei Yuan?"

The old man on the other side said slowly, "That Wei Yuan is not just one person. There are seven or eight Dharma Aspects that have been monitored, all of whom are geniuses."

The Crown Prince roared, "Even if we can't win in a battle of wits, what about Yu Jing? Why did the Illusionary World True Monarch suddenly run away? What am I supposed to do now that he's gone?"

At this moment, an old man with his eyes closed suddenly said, "Wei Yuan has entered Chunhua Palace. His shadow form still has vitality, but his physical body has stopped responding. It is suspected that his soul has been destroyed."

The Crown Prince kicked over a chair and roared, "Isn't Huaying supposed to be a once-in-a-century genius assassin? A genius assassin at the late stage of the Dharma Aspect realm, how come he can't do anything to someone who has just entered the Dharma Aspect realm?"

The Left Prime Minister, sitting opposite the Crown Prince, finally opened his eyes and said, "It's normal that we can't compete with the Tai Chu Palace in terms of high-level cultivation. The matter is settled, so let's just wait and see."

The prince realized he had lost his composure and gritted his teeth, asking, "Why is he going to Chunhua Hall instead of Vajra Zen Temple?" No one answered.

The crown prince's eyes twitched, as if a venomous snake was gnawing at his flesh.

But with the Left Prime Minister present, he had nowhere to vent his frustrations, and finally managed to say, "I'm exhausted. Let me rest for a while, and we'll meet again at the morning court tomorrow."

Seeing the Crown Prince leave, the Left Prime Minister slowly rose and walked outside. At this moment, a man emerged from the outer room, greeted the Left Prime Minister, and then accompanied him out of the mansion. This man was none other than Li Weisheng.

After leaving the Crown Prince's residence, Li Weisheng boarded the Left Chancellor's carriage.

The Left Prime Minister boarded the carriage, and only then did fatigue appear on his face as he gently rubbed his temples.

Li Weisheng asked, "The sudden departure of the Illusionary World True Monarch is rather suspicious! And how could the Shadow Transformation have died so easily?"

The Left Prime Minister said calmly, "What's so strange about that? The Primordial Palace is the number one immortal sect, while we are at the bottom among the nine kingdoms. Abandoning the path of the Human King and competing with the Primordial Palace in terms of talent and cultivation, how can we not be defeated?"
Putting everything else aside, simply placing the Great Evolution Illusionary World True Monarch before the royal palace already signals a loss. How could such a figure be used to guard a woman? What a waste of the favors I've painstakingly built up.”

Li Weisheng asked, "So what do we do now?"

The Left Prime Minister unfurled a scroll depicting a moonless, starry sky filled with countless tiny stars. He reached out and stroked the painting, and countless starlight emerged from it, floating in mid-air before falling like rain.

The Left Prime Minister stared intently at the star shower, his forehead slightly beaded with sweat. A moment later, the star shower dissipated, and the starry sky in the painting dimmed considerably, with many stars disappearing from view.

He hesitated for a moment before saying, "Come on, I'll take you to see someone."

The Left Prime Minister then ordered, "Leave the city and go to the Vajra Zen Temple."

Upon hearing the name of the Vajra Zen Temple, Li Weisheng immediately knew who he was going to see. He was deeply shaken and asked, "Sir, did you see something just now?"

The Left Prime Minister shook his head and said, "I didn't see anything. But I think it's time to take a step back."

Li Weisheng pondered it carefully, feeling that he understood something, yet also feeling that he understood nothing at all.

The carriage began to move, and the Left Prime Minister said, "Your Majesty, the country is facing difficulties, and this is precisely the time when we need capable people. Tell Sun Chaoen, the one you mentioned to me last time, to make preparations and come to the capital in a while."

Li Weisheng hurriedly said, "He's been getting quite close to the Right Chancellor lately..."

"Then you should definitely go and speak up. How can such a talent be entrusted to the Right Chancellor?"

Li Weisheng nodded.

The Left Prime Minister suddenly yawned, slowly closed his eyes, and began to doze off.

The carriage traveled through the darkness.

……

Inside Chunhua Palace, it was warm and cozy, like springtime.

Wei Yuan picked up a cup of hot tea and brought it to his lips. But his hands trembled uncontrollably, and he ended up spilling a lot of tea on his clothes.

Consort Yuan sat beside him, dignified and radiant, her entire being seemingly glowing. She reached out to help Wei Yuan, but then withdrew her hand, asking with concern, "Is your injury serious?"

Wei Yuan said, "He is, after all, a late-stage Dharma Aspect cultivator, and he has to pay some price. Hmph, since the Crown Prince wants fame, I'll make sure he doesn't get his wish!"

"Don't worry, just stay here. I'm going out of the city again. This time, I'm determined to force him to rebel!"

Wei Yuan stood up, left Chunhua Palace, and disappeared in an instant.

A slender figure appeared where he had been sitting, beautiful in a pure, youthful, and innocent way—it was Bao Yun.

As soon as she appeared, she bowed to Consort Yuan and said, "Tonight, Sister Tingyu and I will be here to protect you. I only realized today how difficult it must be for you to navigate among so many people."

Consort Yuan smiled slightly and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, sister. My safety is not a concern. If there is any danger, please remember to take good care of the children."

Feng Tingyu emerged from the darkness, looking at everything inside Chunhua Palace with curiosity.

She found it strange that Consort Yuan and Sister Baoyun were talking so intimately. Why were they so hostile towards each other?
The heavy snow continued all night.

Wei Yuan entered the Vajra Zen Temple through the snow, and no one knew what he did inside or when he left.

The next morning, the snow cleared, the clouds parted, and the bright sun broke through the clouds and leaped into the sky—a rare and beautiful day.

It was still early for the morning court session, but most of the civil and military officials had already arrived. They had long heard that the wind and snow had been fierce and many major events had occurred the previous night.

The Crown Prince's carriage and Wei Yuan's carriage arrived at the palace gate at the same time, and the two entered the palace side by side.

Wei Yuan looked the Crown Prince up and down, and suddenly laughed: "As expected of the Crown Prince, you are in good health! You must take good care of yourself. In another twenty years or so, when you celebrate your eightieth birthday, I may have to call you Your Majesty and kowtow to you."

The crown prince clenched his fist, his hand trembling, and ignored Wei Yuan, going straight to the palace.

Wei Yuan let out a long laugh and followed him into the hall.

In the winter of that year, Wei Yuan presented the elixir of immortality, which allowed the Prince of Jin to live for twenty-four years longer.

The Prince of Jin was overjoyed and bestowed upon Wei Yuan the title of Military Governor of Qingyang, granting him command of the military affairs of the surrounding prefectures. He also granted him the Nine Bestowments, the authority to wield the imperial axe, the privilege of not having to hasten his steps when entering the court, the right to be addressed without being named during audiences, and the right to enter the court with a sword and shoes...

Apart from the military governor of Qingyang, Wei Yuan firmly declined all other offers.

Several days later, the crown prince launched an uprising, but few people responded.

Seeing that things were not going well, the crown prince set fire to his residence and committed suicide, leaving only a charred corpse in the ruins. In his final moments, no one was buried with him.

(End of this chapter)