Minglong

Chapter 375 Didn’t expect it
Under the bright spring sun, the bustling city of Luoyang remains as vibrant as ever.

Wandering martial artists from all over the country gathered in Xiaoyao Cave, while many high-ranking members of Queyue Manor gathered in the council hall of Jiulong Hall.

As the young master, Lin Zisu followed local customs and donned a black and green cloak, dressing up as a poisonous rat. As she grew older, her clothes became bulging, giving her a witch-like air. However, her delicate face remained lively and spirited as she listened attentively to her master's words.

Bu Yuehua ran back from the heights, undoubtedly using Wanyi's body. The secret technique of soul-swapping couldn't be revealed to those below, so she spoke in Wanyi's voice:

"The Master sent an urgent message: Chen Yishan of the Three Corpse Cave colluded with remnants of the Underworld God Cult at Dragon Bone Beach to assassinate Xie Jinhuan, confirming his betrayal of the righteous path. Although the Gu Poison Sect is rejected by the righteous path, my Crescent Moon Manor has gained the approval of the Great Qian Dynasty and absolutely cannot tolerate such a scoundrel implicating the entire sect..."

Bu Hanying was from a collateral branch of the Bu family and held a high position in Queyue Manor. Because she was unaware that Lin Wanyi had been possessed by the manor lord's ghost, she hesitated somewhat regarding these words.
"Wanyi, let me be frank with you behind closed doors. Our Gu Poison Sect is known for its diverse factions, its shrewdness, and its ability to navigate between good and evil. We've always stood on the side of the winners, not on either side..."

Lin Zisu blinked: "Is this the kind of opportunist who changes course without a second thought?"

"..."

Bu Yuehua and the other disciples of the incense master fell silent, but did not refute these words.

After all, that's roughly what Bu Hanying meant.

The five major religions in the world have significant differences in their core doctrines, which indirectly influenced the practices, words, deeds, and conduct of their followers in later generations.

The shamanistic religion originated in the ancient and primitive period, and its core concept is—survival of the fittest!
As long as they can maintain the survival of their tribe in extremely harsh environments, there is nothing the high priest, as the guide of the tribe, will not do. Therefore, his practice can be described as having no taboos and his moral standards are not too high.

This approach to life led to the flourishing of various branches within the shamanistic religion, making it the sect with the most branches among all religious groups, and its followers spread throughout the north and south.

However, the price is that if one always puts the interests of their own clan first, they will not care much about righteousness, morality, or the peace of the common people. Fellow cultivators will also fight fiercely for their own interests.

Leaving aside the ancient events, let's just talk about the time when the Human Emperor unified the world. At that time, the shamanism was divided into two factions: the shaman Yin Lun was the high priest of the Human Emperor, while Zhu Man was a prophet from a foreign tribe.

After the battle, the Zhuji faction split off and became a righteous and prestigious sect, while Zhu Man's branch became the unpopular Gu poison faction.

Then the Gu Poison Sect attempted to gain a seat on the righteous path, but its own cultivators fought amongst themselves again. After defeating the Gu Poison Sect, the remaining sects in the Central Plains became the righteous forces, while the Corpse Witch Sect, which played with puppets, was labeled as the evil path and almost disappeared.

Later, during the chaos of the witchcraft cult, it was the Corpse Ancestor who brought disaster to the people, and it was the Corpse Ancestor's teachers who saved them.

There were many reasons why Sikong Shitang did what he did, but in retrospect, if Sikong Shitang hadn't betrayed his disciple, the Gu Poison Sect would have been wiped out and wouldn't have had the chance to survive to this day.

Now that chaos is about to erupt again, the Gu Poison Sect has clearly begun to fight amongst themselves, with some turning to the evil path and others to the righteous path.

Bu Hanying was unsure how things would develop, but she knew very well that if the righteous path won after this incident, the Gu Poison Sect, led by Queyue Manor, would be cleansed of all its past sins and become a new righteous sect!

If the evil path wins, the Gu poison sect, led by the Three Corpse Cave, will be cleansed of all its past sins and become a new righteous sect!

Therefore, Wei Wuyi's betrayal was unforgivable, but Chen Yishan's conversion to evil was understandable. They were both loyal followers of the Gu Poison Sect, so there was no right or wrong, good or evil. They were just doing their own thing and accepting their fate.

Having inherited his father's position and become the third-in-command of the Gu Poison Sect, Bu Yuehua clearly understood Bu Hanying's meaning and inquired:
"Does that mean, Uncle-Master Bu, we shouldn't pursue the matter of the Three Corpse Cave?"

"Eh."

Bu Hanying quickly waved her hand:
"We are now on the righteous path, and if we don't investigate the bad apples within the sect, we'll appear to be two-faced. But that's not the most urgent matter. First, we need to figure out why Chen Yishan dares to stand on the side of the evil path."

“Our Gu Poison Sect is not like those reckless bastards from the demonic sects. Chen Yishan would never gamble with the entire sect or even the entire cult unless he was 90% certain. As for our Queyue Manor, to put it nicely, we are isolated and left with only a thread of incense offerings; to put it bluntly, we have been abandoned by the cult. The cult's decision was not even communicated to us.”

"If the sect is truly confident of success, our current collusion... to defend the righteous path might seem a bit like joining the Qi army at the end of the Qi dynasty..."

Lin Zisu understood what he meant and couldn't help but interject:
"That's true, but with Xie Lang and me supporting the righteous path, what makes the Gu Poison Sect so confident in overthrowing the righteous path? Even if they were, our master is already in the same boat... it's too late for them to get off."

Bu Yuehua sensed a hidden meaning in Zisu's words, but she didn't pay attention to it. Instead, she frowned and pondered.

The Gu Poison Sect has always acted cautiously; they would never risk their lives if they could resort to underhanded tricks. For a high-ranking core figure like Chen Yishan to risk the entire sect by joining the evil path can only mean that he is extremely confident or has the support of the sect leader, Sikong Tianyuan.

But no matter how powerful Sikong Tianyuan is, he is only at the same level as Lu Wuzhen, and it is impossible for him to overthrow the entire righteous path, including Ye Sheng.

She certainly wouldn't believe that Sikong Tianyuan was acting impulsively, so either Shang Lianbi was backing him from behind the scenes, or Sikong Tianyuan was secretly plotting a deadly move...

Bu Yuehua originally wanted to investigate Chen Yishan's matter, but it seemed that she had long been isolated by the higher-ups of the Gu Poison Sect and was unaware of many things. After thinking for a moment, she could only say:
"Send the message back first and see how the sect reacts. As for the rest, we'll investigate secretly. If we find any clues, we'll report to the manor lord immediately."

"Yes……"

……
-
Meanwhile, at the same time as the meeting was being held at the Crescent Moon Manor, in the Imperial Palace...

Zhao Ling, dressed in a magnificent palace gown, led Duo Duo through the palace corridors toward the Linde Hall.

Linghu Qingmo walked beside her, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, a hint of absentmindedness in her expression. After all, her master hadn't contacted her for several days, and she didn't want to disturb him rashly. She genuinely missed that lecherous man...

I wonder what he's doing now, and whether he misses me...

……

Upon arriving outside the hall, Linghu Qingmo quickly composed herself, adopted the dignified demeanor befitting a Daoist fairy, and followed Ling'er into the hall.

When he looked up, he saw Zhao De sitting in the chief seat on the right, dressed in the crown prince's robes. His eyes were red and teary, and his shoulders twitched from time to time, as if he had just lost his father.

When Zhao Ling suddenly saw this scene, she thought something had happened to her father, and she was shocked. She wanted to ask what was going on.

But looking around, he saw his father, dressed in a dragon robe, sitting steadily on the dragon throne. He glanced at his son out of the corner of his eye, his eyes almost unable to hide his desire to pull off his belt.

(→_→)!
Meanwhile, Zen Master Wuxin and Li Chimo, who was acting as the sect leader, were sitting upright in the hall, glancing at His Highness the Crown Prince with different expressions.

? ?
Seeing such a grand display, Linghu Qingmo felt both awe and bewilderment. He glanced at Ling'er, his gaze clearly asking:

"Zhao De has been crippled?"

Zhao Ling felt it shouldn't be like this. Xiao Dezi dreamed of being a lawless and carefree prince, the farther away from the capital the better. How could he be so heartbroken after being deposed?

Zhao Xiao clearly understood his daughter's thoughts. He shifted his gaze from his foolish son and said in a calm tone:

"Come in. The Imperial Observatory just sent word that the Dragon Bone Beach incident is over. Xie Jinhuan has obtained two opportunities and is safe and sound. He will be returning soon."

"..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Ling and Linghu Qingmo suddenly realized why Zhao De had acted this way.

Two days after news of Xie Jinhuan's appearance at Longgutan spread, Jinlou opened a large betting pool, with people betting on who would win and how many divine opportunities they could seize.

Almost everyone bet on Xie Jinhuan, because Dragon Bone Beach only gives one, so most people bet on one. However, some people, based on their achievements in Southern Xinjiang, risked betting on Xie Jinhuan to grab three.

Zhao Dehe was different from others; he figured Xie Jinhuan always did things unexpectedly, and the results would definitely be beyond reason.

But he couldn't bet that Xie Jinhuan wouldn't be able to get it, so he had a brilliant idea and added one more, betting on four!
He went bankrupt, borrowing money from all sides and gambling away all his capital.

Dragon Bone Beach only offers three opportunities, yet four were seized, shocking all the normal people in the capital who could count.

When the results were announced, Zhao De simply sat still and silently shed tears. It wasn't that the past six months of instruction had been effective, but rather that he had already pounded his chest and wailed like a banshee, and now all that remained was a profound sense of despair and utter despair.

After Zhao Ling understood the reason, he was too lazy to pay any more attention to his foolish younger brother. After entering the hall to pay his respects, he asked:
"Did Father summon me to the palace for some purpose?"

After suffering several setbacks, Zhao Xiao had been working tirelessly for the past six months to ensure a stable life for his family. He smiled and spoke:
"I have summoned you to the palace for some reasons, but they are not matters of court. I have seen your intelligence and talent since childhood, but when you were an official in the provinces, you were busy with official duties and neglected your upbringing. Now that the world is in turmoil, as a descendant of the Zhao family, you must do your best for the country..."

He went on and on, basically saying that the person has great potential and will serve the country and its people in the future.

After finishing his polite remarks, Zhao Xiao continued:

"Recently, I discussed with the two sect leaders and obtained an opportunity for you that will benefit your cultivation. However, you must remember that this opportunity comes from the Great Qian Dynasty and is not bestowed by me. It should be used for the benefit of the common people..." As he spoke, Monk Wuxin stood up, leaned on his staff, and came into the hall, holding a golden bowl in his hand.

The golden bowl contained a bright red liquid, brimming with spiritual energy, which made Li Chimo's eyes flicker slightly, clearly showing a hint of envy.

Zhao Ling looked slightly puzzled:

"This is……"

The monk Wuxin, leaning on his staff, spoke in a calm tone:
According to the Records of the Realm, the Qilin of the Central Plains sleeps south of the Huai River, suppressing the demons and gods of the world to prevent the collapse of heaven and earth. For this reason, successive dynasties have built their capitals on the south bank of the Huai River.

"Although no one in later generations has ever seen a Qilin, the chaos of the Witchcraft Cult a hundred years ago, in which the Corpse Ancestor brought calamity to the capital, did indeed trigger a great war unknown to outsiders. Ye Sheng obtained some Qilin blood, intending to bestow it upon the successor of the righteous path a hundred years later..."

"Qilin blood..."

Zhao Ling had never heard of such a thing before, but just from the fact that it was linked to ancient legends, she knew how rare it was. She inquired:
"Shouldn't this divine object be given to Xie Jinhuan?"

"This item should have been given to Xie Jinhuan, but this boy has too much good fortune and can't use it. Moreover, the pillar of the righteous path can only suppress the path of cultivation. The laws and regulations for the people's livelihood still depend on the emperor and his ministers. If the emperor makes a mistake, it will inevitably affect the people."

The monk Wuxin glanced at the still heartbroken Crown Prince Zhao De as he finished speaking:
"This creates an extra opportunity. The elders on the mountain originally intended it for the Crown Prince, so that after a hundred years, Xie Jinhuan would only need to monitor the mountain, and the monarch could stand alone, leaving no room for evil to take advantage."

"But His Majesty said that the Crown Prince is still too young and not mature enough, and that the Emperor is busy with countless affairs of state and cannot devote time to cultivation. The Eldest Princess is young and talented, and is more suitable to take charge of this matter..."

Zhao Ling understood the meaning this time—the elders at the mountain peak had left an opportunity for the future leader, but Xie Jinhuan didn't need it; he just wanted to provide a double guarantee for the future emperor.

However, the Emperor was not at ease with Zhao De's character, and no one else could be guaranteed absolute loyalty to the Emperor. Therefore, his older sister was undoubtedly the best choice. Now she would assist her younger brother and secretly become the ancestor of the Zhao family in the future, and also protect the Zhao royal family.

At the age of seventeen or eighteen, as long as she cultivates diligently, she can protect the country for at least two hundred years. Moreover, she has a close relationship with Xie Jinhuan and can also keep Xie Jinhuan in check to a certain extent.

Although Xie Jinhuan was an upright man and would never have considered 'you've really caused me so much trouble,' power is power.

Throughout history, royal families have had close ties with Taoist cultivation practices, either through marriage or blood relations. For example, the Xiao family of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, which lasted for three hundred years, initially relied on Emperor Taizu of Zhou and later on Empress Dowager Guo.

As the leader of the rebel army, Emperor Qian Taizu stabilized the people in the rear during the chaos caused by the witchcraft cult, and his wisdom and resourcefulness were quite remarkable. He was elected as the founding emperor by various religions and schools of thought.

However, Emperor Qian Taizu was able to become the leader of the rebel army because he and Ye Sheng were like-minded friends. The two, one a scholar and the other a warrior, worked together to raise the rebel army.

Later, Emperor Qianlong married Ye Sheng's distant cousin and made her his empress, who was also her great-grandmother. However, as the founding emperor, he could not let the people think that he had risen to power by clinging to Ye Sheng's coattails, so these relationships were kept only in secret archives.

Because of these connections, when Ye Sheng was around, no matter how powerful Lu Wuzhen was, he didn't dare to extend his influence into the imperial court.

But if all the elderly die of old age, whether they will still be obedient depends on the conscience of the person in charge. If Xie Jinhuan is in a good mood, he will treat you like an emperor. If he is in a bad mood, he will think that Empress Dowager Xu is still charming and insist on spending the night in the palace. What can Zhao De do but call him father?

Zhao Ling understood the profound meaning of this opportunity and cupped his hands in greeting:

"Your son will definitely cultivate diligently from now on, and vow to serve the Great Qian Dynasty with my life, so as not to let down the expectations of Father Emperor and the righteous predecessors."

Zhao Xiao nodded with satisfaction upon seeing this, while the monk Wuxin held up the golden bowl, and the red blood within transformed into wisps of crimson light, flowing into Zhao Ling's brow.

Huhu~
Upon contact with this primordial power, Zhao Ling's limbs and energy channels began to change rapidly, as if a god had suddenly taken up residence within her.

Her almond-shaped eyes, which originally held a touch of girlish innocence, gradually revealed an unusual sharpness, making her look like a black-armored unicorn with a body comparable to a mountain, scrutinizing all living beings in the human world.

Moreover, this was not an illusion. As an indescribable power flowed into his body, Zhao Ling gradually discovered that the scene before him was changing, and it seemed that he could see the soul directly through the illusory image of his body.

The monk Wuxin ahead was surrounded by a phantom radiating Buddhist light, its size astonishing, yet holy, pure, and flawless.

Li Chimo's illusory figure was much smaller, and it was mixed with wisps of mixed colors. According to rumors, this was probably due to the impurity of the six senses.

What she found hard to believe was that Zhao De, who sat in the chief seat on the right, had multiple illusory images appearing around him. One was humanoid, but hidden within it was a ferocious red-eyed white ape, which looked very much like Wuzhiqi, whose strength surpassed that of nine elephants, as recorded in ancient books...

Zhao Ling's eyes shone brightly, somewhat bewildered by this unprecedented sight. As she looked around in confusion, she suddenly discovered that she also had a phantom image on her body, and a very conspicuous red mark on it!
She tried to probe the mark, but her divine sense was swallowed up by an irresistible force. In an instant, her soul was sent flying, and she plummeted at the speed of light, crashing into mountains, vast cities, rivers, and ports...

Finally, upon entering the ship's cabin, they saw three figures behind the curtains, and:
"Oh no... wait, wait, someone's coming..."

"Huh? Eh?!"

……
-
Meanwhile, at the Linde Hall.

Zhao Xiao, Linghu Qingmo, and the others all looked solemn as they watched the wisps of light converge into Zhao Ling's brow.

As time went on, Zhao Ling's noble and imposing face revealed a touch of divinity, and a red mark appeared between her eyebrows, like a 'flower ornament' applied by a beauty in the palace, which was very charming and touching, but also seemed like a divine eye bestowed by the gods.

Zhao Ling's eyes were also changing. She looked around, her expression a mixture of surprise and confusion, as if she had seen something that ordinary people couldn't see.

But then something was discovered, and he suddenly became dazed, as if he had become a soulless walking corpse.

"Ok?"

As a holy monk in Buddhism, Wuxin could see abnormalities in souls through his eyes. When he noticed that Zhao Ling's soul was acting strangely, he thought something was wrong.

But Zhao Ling was stunned for a moment, then suddenly woke up, her original poised demeanor turning into one of surprise and bewilderment as she looked around blankly.

Upon noticing the emperor, the crown prince, the Buddhist sect leader, his disciples, and other eminent figures watching her, Zhao Ling crossed her arms and let out a sound:
"what--"

A scream that could shatter gold and split rocks rang out from the magnificent Linde Hall!

Zhao Xiao, a doting father, turned pale the moment he saw his precious daughter acting like a madwoman.

"Ling'er?"

Zhao De, who was secretly shedding tears, also quickly stood up:
"sister?"

Linghu Qingmo and Naido were even more frightened and rushed forward:
"Senior Wuxin, what's wrong with Ling'er?"

"Your Highness?"

……

Although the monk Wuxin was highly skilled, he was clearly no match for the succubus on the mountaintop. He frowned as he observed the situation, unable to understand what was going on.

Nangong Ye was still inside the curtained room when he was suddenly transported to the magnificent imperial palace. Qingmo was still standing in front of him, and he was completely terrified!

Startled for a moment, Nangong Ye realized that he was wearing clothes, and that his body shape had changed quite a bit...

"Eh?"

Upon noticing the sudden change in number, Nangong Ye froze, instinctively striking a pose reminiscent of a female sword immortal with one hand behind her back. But then, realizing something was amiss, he switched to Ling'er's usual stance:
"I... um... I was spacing out, it's nothing serious, um..."

She hesitated, wanting to explain, but the next moment, she realized that Ling'er should be on the ferry in Yanbo City at this time, and discovered...

"what--!"

Nangong Ye was jolted, and then his mind could no longer withstand the stimulation. His eyes rolled back and he fell straight backward.

"Eh?"

"Ling'er?"

"Your Highness..."

The entire Linde Hall was thrown into chaos...
-
Daily life is hard to write, so if it's less than 2 words, I'll combine it into one chapter.
(End of this chapter)