The stolen magic is a bit magical

A philosopher from another world, who had nothing better to do, once said something really ridiculous: "A butterfly flapping its wings on the west coast of the Pacific Ocean can create a tornado on the east coast of the Pacific Ocean."

This theory is also applicable in this world.

At least, it applies to the Li family in Xihe.

The Li family of Xihe is Li Chengnian's kinsman.

This family was once a prominent family in the Xihe region. They owned land, had servants, had money in their treasury, had disciples in their sect, and had connections in the capital. But what about now?

There are officials in the imperial court here?

As Master Li paced around his yard, the most exciting element constantly pulsating in his mind was this sensational rumor.

He is Li Chengnian's father.

News came from the capital yesterday, almost sending the Li family to the deepest abyss. The crown prince was captured, and the Heart Pavilion in the capital was destroyed.

This Mr. Li almost couldn't catch his breath.

With the Crown Prince gone, all the resources the Li family has spent on currying favor with him over the years will have gone down the drain. It might even backfire and cause His Majesty to want to kill the Li family.

Moreover, his own son, Li Chengnian, is a steward of the Xin Pavilion. The higher he climbed in the past, the greater the probability of him dying this time.

One son is nothing; he has too many concubines and several children. But this son is different from the others. This son is the bond that connects the Qingqiu clan. If the son dies, can Qingqiu still maintain its connection? If a son is temporarily replaced, people won't know whether to acknowledge him or not.

Just when the entire Li family was living in constant fear, suddenly, even more explosive news arrived...

Li Chengnian was promoted by His Majesty to the rank of Fifth-Rank Inspector.

Upon hearing this news, Master Li jumped eight feet high and waved his hand fiercely: "Investigate! Find out if it's true!"

Therefore, the investigation was carried out simultaneously on all fronts of the Li family.

When will we hear back?
With a whoosh, the gate to the south courtyard was suddenly pushed open, and an old man strode in: "Second Master, what a great joy, what a great joy! The Fourth Young Master... the Fourth Young Master has really become a fifth-rank official in the imperial court and has won the Emperor's deep trust!"

Master Li laughed heartily, "Haha, my Li family has finally met its match! Prepare wine, hire an opera troupe, and remember, the banquet will be held at the Prosperous Flower Pavilion. I'll be performing for seven days and seven nights..."

"Master!" A group of women rushed out from the backyard: "Is what happened to Nian'er true?"

"Madam, it's true! I've just verified it!" Master Li stepped out of the courtyard gate. "I'll go tell the head of the family the good news right away!"

Rushing through the long corridor ahead, he turned the corner to the main hall where the head of the family lived. He entered in such a hurry that he almost bumped into a servant. The servant was startled and quickly bowed to apologize.

Master Li scolded him in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear: "Why are you running away? What kind of behavior is this? My son Chengnian is already a fifth-rank official in the imperial court, and the Li family is also an official family. You should behave properly, understand?"

"Yes, Second Master!" the servant quickly replied.

Master Li looked up and saw his elder brother coming out of the house, his face looking quite unpleasant.

Master Li was happy.

In wealthy families, the children are often not very harmonious, especially when it comes to disputes over family property and children. They fight openly and secretly. Today, seeing his elder brother's gloomy face, he was overjoyed.

"Brother, do you know that my Li family has some incredibly good news?" Second Master Li asked, beaming with joy as he opened the door.

"Is Second Brother referring to Cheng Nian becoming a fifth-rank official?" The eldest brother's face was neither sunny nor gloomy.

Master Li laughed and said, "Exactly! Although my Li family is powerful and influential, there has never been a direct descendant who has served as an official in the imperial court. Cheng Nian's success fills a century-old gap in the Li family's history, and Father will surely be overjoyed..."

The eldest brother let out a long sigh: "As far as I know, it is true that Cheng Nian has entered the court as an official, but second brother, do you know why he was able to enter the court as an official?"

Master Li laughed and said, "Is that important? As long as..."

"Does it matter? Let me tell you whether it matters or not!" The eldest brother's face suddenly darkened: "The Crown Prince was imprisoned because of him, and the Heart Pavilion was destroyed because of him! He is the real culprit behind this incident!"

"What?" Master Li stopped abruptly, his cheerful smile completely frozen.

The eldest son said ominously, "The Crown Prince is in prison, but he'll have to make a comeback sooner or later! The Heart Pavilion has been destroyed, but its influence is everywhere! The bigwigs in the court hate the Li family to the bone! The prefect's warning just arrived, and now the Heart Pavilion has sent another letter. The letter is still in Father's hands. Right now, Father isn't overjoyed as you said, but rather extremely worried..."

"Second brother! Come in!" A loud shout came from inside the house, directly interrupting the eldest brother's voice.

It was Father's voice.

Father's voice was filled with murderous intent.

As soon as Li Lao Er entered the room, the head of the Li family threw a piece of paper in his face.

The paper was Xin Ge's special letter paper, and the contents were very elaborate, even quite polite: "In the martial world, loyalty comes first. Those who betray their sect are despised by all under heaven. Therefore, the Seven Pavilions of the Great Wilderness kindly remind the Li family of Xihe that any disciples who go out should be careful."

The letter in Old Li's hand trembled slightly.

He wasn't stupid; he knew things were in trouble...

If Li Chengnian's promotion by His Majesty were not related to the Crown Prince incident, it would obviously be a great joy.

However, Li Chengnian betrayed the company.

He rose to power by stepping on the Crown Prince and the Heart Pavilion.

Just as the eldest brother said, the crown prince is currently only imprisoned, and he will be released sooner or later.

Xin Ge only destroyed one pavilion. There are eight such pavilions in the Great Wilderness. Xin Ge deliberately pointed out the number seven pavilions in the Great Wilderness, which contains their deep hatred for Li Chengnian.

The Heart Pavilion has infiltrated the imperial court; even the prefect of this prefecture is one of their people.

Many high-ranking officials in the imperial court are their people.

These are not the most terrifying things, because the bigwigs in the imperial court must act fairly and at least be transparent. The most terrifying thing is the underworld.

Martial arts sects don't care about procedures or evidence; they have no scruples.

The letter from Xin Ge reminded the Li family members to be careful when going out!

This is the threat posed by Aka LL.

There are indications that from now on, any member of the Li family who goes out will be killed, and the reason has already been decided: the Li family is disloyal, and their friends in the martial arts world cannot stand it and are punishing them.

One by one, the items quickly transformed Li Lao Er's initial elation into unease.

"Father!" the elder brother said, "Our Li family needs to act decisively and immediately recall this rebellious son and punish him severely."

"No!" Li Lao Er exclaimed in surprise.

"No? You insist on wiping out the entire Li family before you're satisfied? You insist on binding the lives of your entire family with that rebellious and unfilial son? Are you blind? Can't you see the current political situation? His Majesty is old, and the Crown Prince will eventually ascend the throne. Do you think such a short-sighted person deserve to be a descendant of the Li family?" The eldest brother pressed forward relentlessly, unleashing his full power.

Sweat poured down Li Lao Er's forehead...

The Li family head's gaze was fixed on him, his eyes growing colder and colder. He stretched out his hand, interrupting his eldest son's relentless advance: "Second son, everything the eldest son said is true. I've thought it through. The Li family of Xihe must know that the tide of history is irreversible. We must never associate with this rebellious son..."

Suddenly, the door was pushed open.

It's the butler!
The patriarch is furious!

The boss was furious: "Don't you know any rules? Get out!"

The steward stepped forward tremblingly, then suddenly knelt down: "Master, an urgent report has come from the capital: His Highness the Crown Prince... His Highness the Crown Prince died in the imperial prison last night!"

boom!
It was like a thunderclap!
The eldest son of the Li family was completely stiff!

He had just confidently recounted the rumors that Xin Ge had given him when he suddenly heard this news.

The prince is dead!

How can he make a comeback after the Crown Prince's death?

Old Master Li's expression also changed: "Is the news true?"

"Absolutely true!"

"The Crown Prince only went to the Cold Prison, so why... why did he die?" Old Master Li said.

Rumors are circulating in the capital... he committed suicide out of fear of punishment!

Suicide out of fear of punishment...

Old Master Li and his eldest son exchanged glances, both seeing suspicion in each other's eyes. However, neither dared to speak out, even though they were in the inner courtyard of the Li family estate...

Li Lao Er straightened his back: "Father, now that the Crown Prince is dead, His Majesty will surely purge the Crown Prince's faction. My Li family was originally among those to be purged, but fortunately, my son Cheng Nian is deeply trusted by His Majesty, which is why my Li family has not been affected so far. I need a clear answer from Father: should we sever my son's connection?"

Now it was Old Master Li's turn to struggle with the decision.

The Li family isn't the only one facing this dilemma.

At least there's Huzhou Xinge.

Xin Ge in Huzhou, far from the capital, is a place where one can find solace in nature and escape the hustle and bustle of the lake. It is a typical Jiangnan water town where one can find peace and tranquility amidst nature. However, the roof of Xin Ge seems to be shrouded in a thick, dark haze.

Lei Zhentian, the master of Xin Pavilion, bowed his head before the two old men.

Both elderly people were dressed in plain clothes, with a heart-shaped pattern on their clothes.

They are the Elders of the Heart Gate.

The Heart Pavilion is, at best, merely the secular execution agency of the Heart Gate.

The Heart Gate is the true sect behind them.

"People say that even tigers don't eat their cubs. It seems we underestimated His Majesty!" said the elder on the left. "He already controlled the imperial seal and could have lived out his remaining years in peace. But he killed his own son in the prison simply because he needed to seize life."

The elder on the right said, "It wasn't just to plunder life. He could also see that if the Crown Prince didn't die, there would be endless trouble. We should have seen this when he sent the Crown Prince to the Cold Prison instead of the Heaven Prison. He had already decided to kill the Crown Prince that day. Sending him to the Cold Prison was a sign that he was determined to kill the Crown Prince."

The elder on the left said, "It's a pity, we were still deceived by him."

"Everything is still the same Li Chengnian!" said the Pavilion Master of Xin Pavilion. "I will personally go to Xihe now."

The elder on the left slowly turned his gaze over: "You still intend to use his family to tarnish his reputation, remove him from his position, and eliminate his influence?"

“Yes! Isn’t this the result of our discussion yesterday?” said the Pavilion Master of Xin Pavilion.

Yesterday, they discussed how to deal with Li Chengnian.

Li Chengnian is an official appointed by the imperial court, making him difficult to kill openly. Even sending a skilled assassin to kill him would not be in line with the Xin Pavilion's usual practices.

The Xin Ge (a derogatory term for a group of people) like to kill not only people but also destroy their spirit.

People would despise killing someone with a knife as a mindless act.

How to kill someone by destroying their spirit?
People must die, but their impact is far-reaching. So, we must tarnish his reputation and make him unable to stay anywhere in the world. Aren't you the pride of your family? Then I'll make your family kill you with their own hands!

This is a way to warn those who have been infiltrated by XinGe.

If you dare to resist, Xin Ge has plenty of ways to ruin your reputation, which is a thousand times worse than death!
The elder on the left slowly shook his head: "Yesterday is yesterday, and today is today. We just received some shocking news that clearly tells us one thing: the Li family of Xihe is nothing in front of this newly rising star of the Li family! If they run into this rising star, they will only be played with at his fingertips! Hoping to achieve our goals through a chaotic battle within the Li family is like trying to catch fish by climbing a tree."

The Pavilion Master's gaze sharpened: "What happened yesterday?" "Yesterday, we launched a high-level battle. Xuan Kong personally took action and erased the Desolate Pavilion's records. It was this rising star of the court who stepped forward again. He discovered Xuan Kong's secret of severing the three corpses. Xuan Ku was killed on the spot, Xuan Kong's primordial spirit was captured, and all two hundred disciples of Tunyun were imprisoned."

"What? This... how is this possible? How could Li Chengnian have such ability?" The Pavilion Master's expression changed drastically.

"Indeed, how could a mere descendant of the Li family possess such astonishing abilities?" The elder on the right slowly raised his head: "However, the facts are before our eyes. This child is no longer a descendant under the protection of the Li family. He is the strongest and most dangerous person in the Li family! Compared to him, the entire Li family is insignificant. To use the Li family to destroy him is nothing but wishful thinking!"

The elder on the left said, "There's only another way to leverage their strength!"

The elder on the right asked, "Whose help does the Eighth Elder want to borrow?"

"Whose help is this kid getting so arrogant from?"

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Dynasty!"

The Eighth Elder laughed: "Indeed, the imperial dynasty and His Majesty are the greatest forces behind him, which he uses with great ease. My Heart Sect, on the other hand, excels at achieving true skill from the impossible! I will use the power of the imperial family to kill him!"

The elder on the right frowned slightly: "Who exactly is it?"

"Does the Thirteenth Elder still remember that Crown Prince Hongding has a twin sister?"

"Hong Shanling, the Heavenly Capital Witch?"

"There are nineteen members of the imperial family, but how many of them are actually born of the same father and mother?" The Eighth Elder laughed. "This woman is extremely wild and acts without any laws or taboos. She has the dual identity of the Holy Maiden of the Heavenly Capital and the Princess of the Imperial Family. If she suddenly hears that her only brother has died at the hands of a fifth-rank official, what do you think she will do?"

The two people on the rooftop both brightened up at the same time.

This method is brilliant; it fits Xin Ge's plan to commit murder.

It fits the style of "eliminating the person and shaking the world".

At the same time, a fuse can be planted within the dynasty to prepare for its eventual overthrow...

In the desolate capital, at the Li residence.

Last night, the sky was already overcast.

This morning, Lin Xiaosu woke up in bed to find rain pattering outside the window.

When the misty rain arrives, the coolness of midsummer seeps into your bones.

A gentle breeze blew, and layers of mist appeared on the river.

Lin Xiaosu walked slowly to the window, gazing at the river breeze rustling the willows and boats sailing in the mist. Feeling the rain rushing towards her face, she recited softly: "Poetry and books are best enjoyed in leisure, and the scenery in front of the door is best when the rain comes... In this midsummer season, it is this river of mist and rain that is truly refreshing."

An echo came from the mist outside the window: "It's been a long time since I've heard you recite poetry, sir. You seem to be in a very good mood today. Why don't you accompany me to the East Mountain for a walk and enjoy the wonderful music from the 'Listening to the Wind Pavilion'?"

"Listening to music at the Listening Pavilion? I'm afraid I don't have the leisure or inclination for that." Lin Xiaosu said, "Prepare a carriage, let's go to the palace!"

"Going to the palace? My lord, you want to go to the palace?" With a rustling sound, Qingying appeared in front of him.

The girl still had traces of rain on her hair, and there was surprise in her eyes.

"Yes, didn't I tell you yesterday? I'm getting promoted two ranks today!"

Qingying's mouth gaped open, bewildered at the early morning: "My lord, you...you came to the palace today to seek an official position?"

"Seeking an official position is too vulgar! How could a refined person like me do such a thing? I'm creating an opportunity for His Majesty to promote me."

Qingying blinked: "You haven't even entered the palace, how can you be so sure His Majesty will really promote you?"

"Don't believe me? Want to make a bet?"

Qingying sighed, "My lord, if I had what you need, I would really be willing to gamble, but I have nothing. What can I gamble on? I'll go prepare the carriage!"

Half an hour later, Lin Xiaosu boarded a half-dragon carriage and left the Li residence.

For officials of this era, there were two ways to travel: one was by having their official seal protruding from the sky, and the other was by traveling by horse-drawn carriage.

The official seal is simple and convenient to break through the air, but it seems to have a showy connotation. When officials don't have anything urgent to do, they won't do this. Instead, they will choose to ride in a carriage and pass through the city to show that they are with the people.

But carriages are also divided into different classes.

When the emperor traveled, he was accompanied by eight dragon horses.

The prince travels with four dragon horses.

The prince travels with three dragon horses.

Ordinary princes receive one to three horses, depending on whether you prefer to be high-profile or low-profile.

Apart from members of the royal family, no one else can use a dragon horse; only a half-dragon horse can be used.

What is a half-dragon horse? It has some dragon blood in its body, but after countless generations of dilution, it has become less and less like a dragon.

For example, the horse that Lin Xiaosu's family owns was a royal gift and is considered to be of relatively good quality among the half-dragon horses. However, it only has a scale on its rump.

Moreover, this scale is extremely ugly. You could call it a dragon scale, or you could say it's a sore on a horse's rump and probably no one would disagree.

But Lin Xiaosu didn't care. She sat in the carriage, admiring the graceful figure of the driver in front of her.

Yes, Qingying's figure is still very captivating.

Perhaps this is what her role requires.

She doesn't want a pretty face, a nice bust, or a plump figure; she wants someone who moves quickly and has explosive power in their waist—well, don't get the wrong idea.

The wind blows, the rain falls...

There were far fewer pedestrians on the streets, and the horses' hooves clattered as they galloped toward the imperial city.

They entered the imperial city directly because a fifth-rank insignia was displayed on the carriage.

A fifth-rank official could directly enter the imperial city.

The palace is not suitable.

Lin Xiaosu stopped the carriage and told the guards on duty inside, "Please announce that Li Chengnian, a fifth-rank inspector, requests an audience with His Majesty!"

Upon hearing the first few words, the Imperial Guards looked disdainful. "A fifth-rank official requesting an audience with His Majesty?"

Does His Majesty have time to see someone as insignificant as you?

But then I suddenly heard the name Li Chengnian.

The Imperial Guards were startled.

These three words may not carry much weight in the eyes of ordinary people, but the Imperial Guards are different. Their commander, Huo Gang, has twice displayed his divine power, pacifying Xin Pavilion and sweeping away Tunyun Temple, both times while following the same person.

This person is none other than the newly promoted Inspector Li Chengnian!

These two major operations greatly enhanced the reputation of the Imperial Guards, making them look bad and disgracing the Imperial Guards. Therefore, the Imperial Guards on duty were much more polite to Lin Xiaosu: "Lord Li, please wait here for a moment. I will go and report to His Majesty immediately."

They ran all the way.

His Majesty is currently in the Wenling Hall.

He had just attended the morning court session at the Wuying Hall. He was supposed to return to the inner palace, and he also had a new plan: to go to the Dragon Consort's place to test his youthful physical abilities.

But who would have thought that he would encounter such a distressing situation right after leaving court?

Three Buddhist elders request an audience!

Moreover, he cannot refuse to see these three!

Because they are the abbots of three ancient temples in the Great Wilderness Kingdom: Master Xuanfeng, Master Zhiding, and Abbess Miaoyu.

In Buddhism, under normal circumstances, there is no competition or scrambling. Even if a master of a high seniority goes to the common people, whether he or she is respected depends on whether people believe in his teachings.

However, the most amazing thing about Buddhism is that it has a high ceiling!
A master of this status is a man of great influence in Buddhism, and has hundreds of millions of followers throughout the Great Wilderness. Others may ignore them, but the emperor truly cannot ignore them.

Otherwise, a single word from someone can cause you endless trouble among the people.

Therefore, when these three masters requested an audience outside the palace gates, His Majesty had no choice but to grant them one.

Of course, he had also made ample preparations, choosing the most heavily guarded Wenling Hall, with Huo Gang by his side and the leader of the Hidden Dragon Guard behind him. Even though these three masters were all experts at the Zhi Realm, he could ensure that he would not be taken advantage of.

These were the preparations the emperor made to guard against a sudden uprising by people from the mountains and fields.

However, when faced with the intentions of these three masters, His Majesty still felt unprepared…

"Your Majesty!" Master Xuanfeng spoke first: "The three of us monks have come today for the sake of the primordial spirit of our fellow Buddhist, Xuankong. Senior Brother Xuankong has cultivated diligently for three thousand years, and it is no easy feat to attain enlightenment. How tragic it is that his physical body has perished! How can Your Majesty imprison his primordial spirit?"

“Amitabha, Senior Brother Xuanfeng is absolutely right!” Abbess Miaoyu said, “In the path of cultivation, capturing a person’s primordial spirit is a vicious method. Your Majesty is not a cultivator, yet you use imperial power to capture the primordial spirit of a senior monk. If this gets out, wouldn’t it make millions of fellow Buddhists sigh that the Great Wilderness Dynasty is going against the natural order and disrespecting the Way of Heaven?”

One person takes a step forward!
The Seventh Prince, Hong Yun!
"Both masters are greatly mistaken! Xuan Kong, that scoundrel, has recklessly interfered with cause and effect, and has already suffered the punishment of Heaven. How could his primordial spirit be released so easily?"

Others may not know the inside story of Xuan Kong's feud with the royal family, but he does.

Master Zhiding chanted a Buddhist prayer in a low voice: "Your Highness says that Junior Brother Xuankong has recklessly disrupted karma, but does he know what kind of karma he has disrupted, or who is involved? Could you please announce this to the world to gain their trust?"

Hong Yun felt a surge of anger, but he couldn't speak.

This is the biggest difficulty in this matter.

As a prince and someone in the know, he was furious about the Cloud-Swallowing Blessing incident ten years ago, and furious about that bald thief Xuan Kong. However, this matter was so taboo that it could not be made public.

If even the slightest hint of a whirlwind is detected, the Emperor will be covered in grime.

Never underestimate the reasoning ability of the world. Once people understand the cause-and-effect relationship, they will immediately know that the Crown Prince, who just died in prison, was killed by His Majesty.

Even tigers don't eat their cubs; Father, you're worse than a beast!

He couldn't truly get over the fact that his father had killed his elder brother.

My emotions are boiling over now...

Minister of Justice Song Lifu stepped forward: "May I ask the three masters, is the story of Xuan Kong severing the three corpses true or false?"

“Amitabha! It is true!” Master Xuanfeng replied.

Song Lifu said, "In the path of cultivation, severing the three corpses means severing the body that the original body has abandoned, right?"

"Exactly!"

“Xuan Kong has already severed the Buddha’s corpse!” Song Lifu said, “Severing the Buddha’s corpse puts him on the opposite side of Buddha. The three Buddhist sages, instead of being heartbroken that this villain abandoned Buddhism, are instead traveling thousands of miles for the villain’s remaining demonic spirit. Isn’t this a betrayal of the Buddhist principles? And a disgrace to millions of believers?”

This statement directly avoids the most difficult topic to answer: "the error of cause and effect."

The topic was cleverly shifted to Buddhist principles. (End of Chapter)