The court lackeys of the eight-hour workday

Chapter 622 Canonization
Since Li Miao arrived in Japan, he has successively breached several shrines and learned a great deal of information from Jianzhen and Ji Tianrui... In fact, many things have already been speculated upon, only lacking verification.

The truth that Ji Tianrui learned at the Ise Grand Shrine was also one of the possibilities the two had previously deduced. Therefore, Li Miao did not need to exchange information with Ji Tianrui before reaching a conclusion.

Combined with Xu Fu's answer, the truth is already obvious.

“Master Sanfeng ruined Kawakami’s plan to achieve transcendence through Shintoism, so as early as two hundred years ago, Kawakami had already abandoned Shintoism and you.”

"You are all expendable pawns."

"But after learning of my existence and that of Master Ji, you bunch of outcasts were put to good use, becoming bait and traps to lure us out of the Central Plains."

Li Miao twirled his fingers and said in a cold voice.

"I've been wondering about something: why is it that Master Ji's progress in investigating the old man on the river always so much faster than mine? Wudang and Shaolin are cooperating with me in the best of their ability, and the entire court is operating according to my will, but why am I getting nothing while Master Ji is making such a breakthrough?"

"now I understand."

"The leader of the Ji sect is too fond of planning before acting, while I prefer to just throw things at you directly... I control the Great Shuo court, and my actions are difficult to control. If I am not careful, I will overturn all your plans."

“Comparatively speaking, it would be much easier to use the cult leader to instigate my actions.”

Xu Fu did not deny it.

He was surprisingly candid, showing no intention of hiding anything, as if he had some kind of tacit understanding with Li Miao.

So Li Miao continued.

"Are you so sure I would be willing to appoint you as Emperor?"

Xu Fu said calmly.

"You can kill me too."

"He... or rather, she," he said slowly.

"The choice is yours."

“I don’t know what your methods are, but judging from your previous experience of reaching the Celestial Realm, you obviously also know the secrets of those above the Celestial Realm.”

"To achieve a position above all others, one must have an influence on the general trend of the world. The deeper one's foundation, the greater the influence required... That's why Zhang Sanfeng was never able to take that step."

"You and him are the same."

“If you hadn’t personally turned the world upside down, you would never have taken this step. But you are still one level away from the Celestial Realm to reach perfection. Now that he has taken action against the Great Shuo Dynasty, your only chance to achieve True Eternity is in Japan.”

"And I am the only one who can inherit the throne of the Emperor. Only by bestowing the title upon me can you use your influence to achieve the unification of the six powers."

"If you want to compete with him, this is your only option."

Li Miao sneered.

"Can't I bestow titles upon other people, even if they aren't of the Emperor's bloodline?"

Xu Fu slowly shook his head.

"You're too late."

She raised the Yata no Kagami (a mirror-like object).

"One hundred and seventy years ago, he broke free and handed over the Celestial Realm to me, while he himself, carrying only his memories, went to the Central Plains in another body."

"Over the years, he must have cultivated the Celestial Realm to perfection again. With all the planning and preparation over the years, it is possible that he could overthrow the Central Plains and reach a level above Celestial Realm at any time."

"You need to complete the six routes as soon as possible and rush back to the Central Plains."

“I control Shintoism, am of the Emperor’s bloodline, and possess the Yata no Kagami (the mirror of the Eight-Span Throne). I am the only person who can be legally and legitimately appointed as Emperor right now.”

"Besides, it takes time to bestow titles on anyone, and you are currently short of time."

She spoke without any hesitation.

"Therefore, bestow titles upon me, thus unifying the six paths, and then kill me, so that I may take a half-step above the heavens and the human realm."

"Then quickly return to the Central Plains, stabilize Da Shuo before he succeeds, or kill him directly. That would be the best option."

"The choice is yours, and mine is mine—"

Li Miao suddenly raised her hand to interrupt him.

"Wait a minute, I have a question." He walked forward slowly, stood in front of Xu Fu, stared into her eyes, and said in a low voice.

"Your mind has not been altered."

Li Miao stared intently into Xu Fu's eyes, but after a long while, he couldn't detect even a moment of emptiness in them.

Xu Fu's words also prove this point.

"I simply escaped his control."

“Zhang Sanfeng is indeed an unparalleled genius. He poured all his Celestial Realm into the Yin and Yang, so his suppression also carried a trace of his own personality.”

"Seventy years after I was suppressed in place of that person, I regained my senses."

“But I was suppressed, and although he did not realize that I had broken free of control, he would not bother to rescue me... After all, the Supreme One is ruthless.”

"To him, An Qisheng, Madam Xu, and I were just pawns he could discard at will."

"It wasn't until your appearance that he came up with a plan to use Taoism to lure you out of the Central Plains, and then... that I was able to escape."

Upon hearing this, Li Miao took a half step back, looked Xu Fu up and down, and tilted his head.

"So according to the plan of the old man from the river, you should actually continue to be suppressed, completely cutting off my hope of achieving the unification of the six paths?"

"Yes."

Xu Fu nodded.

"Madam Xu is a fool, and she has been influenced by that person. I can also use the name of Amaterasu Omikami to secretly influence the Ise Grand Shrine... It is not difficult to guide the situation to this point and make Madam Xu misunderstand that person's orders."

Li Miao raised an eyebrow.

"So, from the very beginning, the person who made the deal with Lu Wushuang wasn't the former emperor... but you?"

"Yes."

"You also want to kill the old man from the river?"

"Yes."

"Then why don't you just cooperate with me directly? Everyone I've met likes to bring up cooperation with me."

Li Miao plays with flavor.

Xu Fu said calmly.

Neither you nor I would do that.

"If I go to the Central Plains, the first thing I will do is kill everyone I can kill, turning the world into a mess that he can't handle."

"Including your adoptive father, Zhu Zai, the former commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the emperor, Wudang, Shaolin, and all the imperial family and Embroidered Uniform Guard... I don't think you would allow me to do this."

"Moreover, you killed An Qisheng."

"Although the relationship between us as fellow disciples was just a fabrication created by that person, we were also close friends... I will not cooperate with the murderer who killed him."

Li Miao smiled coldly.

"That's how it is."

"So, only one of us can live, and the one who survives will go and kill the old man on the river, right?"

Xu Fu answered frankly.

"Yes."

Li Miao nodded.

"Since you've already prepared it for me, it would be unreasonable for me not to take it."

"last question."

Li Miao held up one finger.

"Since you're being so frank, can you tell me something... who exactly is the River Elder?"

(End of this chapter)