Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 554 If not eliminated sooner or later, it will become a scourge.
The morning light appears.

Hualong Island was shrouded in a thin mist.

The waves crashed against the jagged rocks, producing a deep roar.

The open-air seaside bathing pool atop the mountain is filled with wisps of steam, which mingle with the salty sea breeze, forming a hazy veil.

Yu Linglong leaned lazily against the edge of the bathtub, her fingertips unconsciously playing with the water, the splashing water droplets reflecting a shimmering light in the morning sun.

The sea breeze, carrying a chill, brushed against her smooth skin, yet it did nothing to make her flinch.

Those elegant, narrow phoenix eyes were slightly closed, and her eyelashes cast butterfly-wing-like shadows under her eyes. Her exquisite, ivory-carved face exuded a cold beauty.

Her slender neck was gracefully raised, as noble as a swan, and her supple waist was faintly visible in the water, tinged with a light pink from being soaked in the warm spring water.

This perfect body is like the Creator's most proud masterpiece, with every line just right, breathtakingly beautiful.

Han Su-yeon stood with her head bowed to the side.

She clutched the soft towel tightly in her hand, but her eyes couldn't help but steal glances at her sect leader.

Han Suyan, a renowned beauty in the Hualongmen, has always been quite confident in her appearance and figure.

But now, standing next to Yu Linglong, she felt ashamed of herself.

Her charming eyes and alluring curves seemed utterly vulgar in comparison to Yu Linglong's cool and exquisite beauty.

Moreover, Yu Linglong holds a superior position and has a noble lineage.

"People are born different..."

Han Suyan sighed inwardly.

Since she was recommended by her senior brother Xiong Ba to serve the sect leader, it was an opportunity for her to improve.

Therefore, she would do her best to serve Yu Linglong well.

"Sect Master, look! The divine dragon has arrived!"

Han Su-yeon suddenly pointed to the distant sea and exclaimed, breaking the tranquility by the bath.

Yu Linglong slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction she was pointing.

On the shimmering sea, a giant snake was swimming leisurely, its massive body creating huge ripples in the water.

The giant snake's scales shimmered with a deep blue light, sometimes raising its head to flick its tongue, sometimes diving into the water.

The giant snake seemed to sense Yu Linglong's gaze, and swam even more joyfully, its huge tail slapping the water's surface, the splashes of water resembling shattered diamonds in the sunlight.

"Don't let his big size fool you, he's always as dependent on people as a little kid."

Yu Linglong's lips curved into a gentle smile, her eyes filled with doting affection:
"Even when it's playing, it needs someone to be with it and pay attention to it."

The giant snake, which was awe-inspiring to everyone in the Hualongmen, was like a spoiled child in her presence. Only she could sense the loneliness and dependence in the heart of this behemoth.

at this time.

The sun had fully risen above the horizon, and golden sunlight spilled onto the bathtub, casting a soft glow on Yu Linglong's skin.

Han Suyan glanced at the sky and softly reminded him:

"Sect Leader, it's time for the morning meeting."

Upon hearing this, Yu Linglong frowned slightly, a hint of annoyance flashing in her eyes.

She stretched lazily, her snow-white arms gleaming like jade in the sunlight.

"Another meeting..."

She muttered to herself, her voice full of impatience.

As the sect leader of the Hualong Sect, she should have been concerned about the rise and fall of the sect, but she only found these matters tedious and boring.

The time she spent sneaking onto land each night was her brief source of happiness.

The novelty and bustling scenes only intensified her aversion to the constraints of the island.

During this time, under Liang Jin's arrangement, she basically had all the things she was supposed to see, do, eat, and drink.

The initial novelty has gradually worn off.

But she still wanted to run onto land.

To be precise, it's a form of escapism.

She fled from Hualong Island, from her home, and from the people here who placed heavy expectations on her.

She always felt exceptionally relaxed whenever she left Hualong Island.

But once she returns here, she feels inexplicably irritable.

It's especially frustrating when dealing with the people and things here.

Just as Yu Linglong was preparing an excuse to skip the morning meeting.

Han Suyan seemed to have guessed her thoughts and hurriedly said:

"Senior Brother Xiong Ba asked me to tell the sect leader that the situation in the world has changed and the sect leader will soon be able to achieve his wish."

"My senior brother also said that he hopes the sect leader will remain steadfast in his resolve and not waver easily."

Upon hearing Xiong Ba's name, Yu Linglong's agitated mood calmed down slightly.

That seemingly rough and savage big guy is actually very thoughtful and always able to offer comfort and understanding when she is most upset.

If it weren't for Xiong Ba helping her relieve her worries and boredom, she probably would have gone mad long ago.

It could be said that Xiong Ba was good in every other way, but there was one place that Yu Linglong was very dissatisfied with.

That's because this guy is too dedicated to the affairs of the sect.

Recently, Xiong Ba has carried out a series of reforms to the Enforcement Hall, Supervision Hall and other departments of Hualongmen. Instead of causing chaos in the sect, the sect has become more and more orderly.

Even the disciples' sense of belonging has become stronger.

Even the elders all praised Xiong Ba highly.

She clearly hoped he would become a treacherous minister who only pleased her, making her happy while causing the sect to decline.

However, Xiong Ba was able to please the sect leader and manage the sect in an orderly manner, which repeatedly thwarted her "spendthrift plan".

This made Yu Linglong begin to suspect that Xiong Ba might be a spy sent by an enemy force.

"Since he says so, let's go and see."

Yu Linglong sighed softly and slowly stood up.

Water droplets slid down her perfect body curves, creating tiny splashes in the bathtub.

Han Suyan immediately stepped forward and carefully draped a soft gauze robe over her, her movements gentle and skillful. She then combed her long hair and put on exquisite jewelry.

Every movement she made exuded respect and flattery. She knew that clinging to Yu Linglong's coattails was her chance to rise to prominence in the Hualongmen.

After a while.

Surrounded by the crowd, Yu Linglong walked gracefully towards the main hall.

The maids on both sides of the corridor bowed their heads in respect, their eyes filled with awe and envy.

The moment they stepped into the main hall, the noisy discussions ceased abruptly, and all eyes were focused on the peerless sect leader.

Inside the main hall, many people were already waiting.

All the elders and hall masters have taken their places.

Yu Linglong gracefully sat on the throne, her posture languid yet dignified.

She glanced around at everyone in the hall and spoke calmly:
"Speak if you have something to say, otherwise the meeting is adjourned."

His voice was clear and cold like a spring, yet it carried an undeniable sense of pressure.

All the elders and hall masters focused their attention on one person.

He was a tall, strong, bald, and hideous scarred giant.

It was Liang Jin.

Before the morning meeting, everyone had already given each other a general heads-up.

They were all aware that Liang Jin, as the leader of the spy team, had obtained some very valuable intelligence today.

Logically, Liang Jin should have handed over this intelligence to the School Affairs Hall, the branch within the Hualong Sect specifically responsible for intelligence gathering and reconnaissance, so that Liang Jin's superior, Hall Master Wu Hou, could relay it to the sect leader.

But no one cared that Liang Jin reported to his superiors without permission, not even Wu Hou.

Everyone knows that Liang Jin is now a favorite of the sect leader.

In addition to being the leader of the spy team, he was also the chief disciple, the inspector, and the commander of the personal guard.

The disciples all say that if it weren't for the sect rules prohibiting outsiders from serving as elders, Liang Jin would probably have been promoted to elder by the sect leader long ago.

That's why everyone was used to Liang Jin's behavior in front of the sect leader.

Immediately.

Liang Jin stepped out of the crowd and reported to Yu Linglong:

"Sect Master, recently our spies have reported a lot of important intelligence. After verifying it, I believe it is of great importance, so I am reporting it to you."

Yu Linglong nodded slightly, indicating her consent.

So Liang Jin spoke up:
"First, because the Black Dragon Dynasty's envoy to the Great Qian Dynasty, Tu Xie Wang, was attacked and killed by unidentified people within the Great Qian territory, the two countries have already gone to war over this."

"The vanguard cavalry of the Black Dragon Kingdom has penetrated deep into the territory of Daqian and continues to harass it, causing constant warfare within Daqian."

"The Great Qian Dynasty is also mobilizing its army to deal with this, especially..."

At this point, Liang Jin paused slightly, then continued:
"In particular, half of the troops stationed in Dongzhou were also transferred north to deal with the war situation."

Even though the elders present already knew the news, hearing Liang Jin mention it again still caused a stir.

The elders whispered among themselves, their eyes gleaming with excitement.

Everyone knows that the Great Qian Dynasty's treasury is empty and its military preparedness is lax. Faced with the invasion of a powerful enemy, it seems powerless and has no choice but to draw troops from various places.

The withdrawal of troops from Dongzhou meant a further weakening of the Dongzhou government's power, which would create an opportunity for Hualongmen.

Yu Linglong merely raised an eyebrow slightly, her expression indifferent, seemingly unconcerned about this news concerning the rise and fall of the sect.

Liang Jin then continued his report:

"Secondly, the spies in the capital have confirmed that half a month ago, Emperor Zhao Youzhao of the Great Qian Dynasty drowned while boating on the lake. After being rescued, he caught a cold and fell seriously ill, and his condition continued to deteriorate."

"Although the Criminal Investigation Bureau tried its best to block the news and secretly searched for famous doctors all over the country, making it difficult for outsiders to know the truth, my Dragon Transformation Sect's top agent in the capital still personally confirmed this information."

"And until now, there has been no news of Zhao Youzhao establishing a crown prince." Upon hearing this, the elders' faces showed anticipation and excitement.

There were spies from the Hualongmen organization in the capital and even in the imperial court.

The top-ranking spies in the capital were the spies in the Hualongmen who were closest to the emperor.

If something can be confirmed by Agent A, then it's basically fine.

If the emperor were to die without an heir, the Great Qian Dynasty would inevitably descend into chaos.

At that time, the restoration of the Great Yu by the Hualongmen will be just around the corner!
However, Yu Linglong still looked uninterested, listlessly playing with the ring on her finger.

Liang Jin continued his report:

"Third, rumors have been circulating in the martial arts world of Daqian that a new martial arts tournament is about to be held."

"The martial arts world of the Great Qian Dynasty held a martial arts conference in Yongzhou City a while ago, but the representatives of the major sects withdrew halfway through, resulting in not a single third-rank martial artist at the conference, which made the conference a joke."

"But then the major sects of the Great Qian Dynasty suddenly announced that they would be holding the Martial Arts Conference again, and that they would all send important figures to participate."

Liang Jin's words finally roused Yu Linglong. She sat up straight and stared intently at Liang Jin.

A martial arts tournament sounds exciting and fun.

Where will the martial arts tournament be held?

Yu Linglong asked impatiently, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Liang Jin replied:

"Sizhou City".

This answer instantly dimmed Yu Linglong's eyes.

Sizhou is thousands of miles away. Even with her superb martial arts skills and the help of the giant snake, she could not arrive there overnight.

This disappointment was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the enthusiasm that had just been ignited within her.

The other elders also showed little interest in this martial arts tournament, which was too far away.

Only the Privy Council Elder said:
"Ding Hao, a spy in the martial arts world, is quite famous in the Great Qian martial arts world. We can send him to participate in the martial arts conference to find out some relevant information."

Elders are also qualified to access information on spies, but in the main hall, they will not directly mention the spies' names to avoid revealing their identities.

As the leader of the spy operation, Liang Jin naturally knew that the martial arts spy Ding Hao mentioned by the Privy Council Elder was none other than Mu Mu, who was known as the number one divine doctor in the martial arts world.

Over the years, Mu Mu has traveled throughout the martial arts world of the Great Qian Dynasty and has indeed brought back a lot of important intelligence for the Hualongmen.

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin nodded and said:

"I have already made the arrangements."

"And the next piece of information was provided by Ding Hao, a martial arts spy."

"The leader of the Way of Peace, the Great Virtuous Teacher, actually kidnapped Princess Kangning, Zhao Xiling, and killed several important figures in the court."

Liang Jin's Great Teacher clone killed too many people at Burial Dragon Ridge, including many important figures in the imperial court.

Therefore, this matter cannot be hidden at all.

So Liang Jin simply brought up this intelligence.

Hearing this, Yu Linglong remained uninterested, but a group of elders' eyes lit up.

The reputation of the Way of Peace had already spread to Dongzhou, and naturally, it had already reached the ears of the elders.

The Privy Council Elder clapped his hands and laughed:
“When I first heard that the Way of Peace used talismans and water to cure diseases, gathered people to form societies, promoted heresies, and even openly defied the government, I concluded that the Great Teacher of Virtue must be a sorcerer who bewitches people.”

"Now it seems that he was indeed born rebellious and had long harbored rebellious intentions."

"I think we should try to win him over. He might be useful when we launch our counterattack against Daqian in the future."

Upon hearing this, all the elders nodded in agreement.

Elder Dianke echoed:

"I have also heard of the Way of Peace. Its followers are spread all over the world and its influence is enormous."

"Furthermore, the Great Teacher himself is highly skilled in martial arts, and he led the Way of Peace to rise rapidly in a short period of time, which shows that his abilities are also excellent."

"If we can gain his allegiance, it will undoubtedly be a great help to us."

Elder Qingnang then analyzed:
"Now that Princess Kangning Zhao Xiling is the only bloodline of the Great Qian Dog Emperor, she is also a possibility to become the crown prince."

"Since the Great Teacher of Virtue and the Way of Peace have taken her hostage, if the Great Qian Emperor were to die unexpectedly, she would be a trump card."

"Xiongba, could you send a spy to contact the Great Master of Virtue directly and try to persuade him to submit to my Hualong Sect?"

Liang Jin never expected that the discussion would eventually turn to him.

For him to contact his clone was a piece of cake.

Liang Jin chuckled inwardly, but outwardly remained calm and respectfully replied:
"No problem, I will arrange for someone to contact the Great Master immediately."

The elders all looked approving and nodded slightly.

Liang Jin has been doing an excellent job managing the spy operation lately.

They not only obtained a lot of important intelligence, but also made no mistakes in the transmission of information.

With such an outstanding talent assisting Hualongmen, how can we not achieve our great cause?

Liang Jin then said seriously:

"Sect Master, based on the information I have obtained, I believe that the fate of the Great Qian Dynasty is nearing its end, and a violent upheaval is likely to occur soon."

"This disciple believes that our Hualong Sect should make preparations early and carry out broader deployments within the Great Qian territory in advance."

"Although Dongzhou is firmly under the control of my Hualong Sect, Dongzhou can only be the first step in my Hualong Sect's advance. The power of my Hualong Sect should radiate outward from Dongzhou as its base."

"Therefore, I believe that our Hualong Sect is now isolated overseas, which is not conducive to its future development."

"This disciple dares to suggest that the core of the Transformation Dragon Sect be moved to the Eastern Continent."

"If a sect leader were to be stationed in Dongzhou, the time required for all decisions could be greatly reduced, the sect leader could personally supervise the progress of affairs, and the morale of all disciples on the mainland could be boosted."

As Liang Jin finished speaking, he looked up at Yu Linglong.

These words made Yu Linglong's heart race, and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

If Liang Jin's suggestion can be implemented, then Yu Linglong can leave this island and go to the mainland.

She can also leave Dongzhou and go to a wider world!

But I'm afraid...

really.

Upon hearing this, the elders exchanged glances.

Normally, all matters within the sect are decided by the sect leader.

However, when this matter was discussed, they disregarded the sect leader's opinion.

Elder Dragon Tamer immediately spoke:
“Xiongba, your proposal needs to be discussed privately by our elders and sect leader.”

"Alright, does anyone have anything else to report?"

"If not, then the meeting is adjourned."

Liang Jin, quite sensibly, withdrew.

Now that Liang Jin had made his move, the other stewards and hall masters all took their leave.

After leaving the hall, Liang Jin greeted the other hall masters and then left on his own.

When he arrived at a remote and deserted place, he stopped.

A graceful figure emerged from behind the tree and stood before Liang Jin:
"Senior Brother Xiong Ba."

This person was none other than Han Suyan.

Liang Jin asked:
"Has the sect leader met with Li Xueqing recently?"

Han Suyan was his person, and he arranged for her to be Yu Linglong's personal maid.

Although Liang Jin didn't know if Han Suyan would betray him in the future, at least for now she was still loyal to him.

Han So-yeon replied:

"Senior brother, recently, let alone Elder Li, the sect leader hasn't even met with a single elder privately."

"The sect leader hasn't been in a good mood lately."

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin seemed to be deep in thought.

Then he asked:

"What has Li Xueqing been doing lately?"

Last time, Liang Jin brought the seriously injured Li Xueqing back to Hualong Island. Just as he expected, as long as he didn't kill Li Xueqing or cripple her martial arts, it wouldn't be a big deal for Liang Jin.

Even though Li Xueqing angrily denounced Liang Jin to the sect leader and elders for crippling her, Liang Jin produced evidence proving that Li Xueqing's injuries were inflicted by Zhu Ying and Zou Cifeng.

Furthermore, Liang Jin turned the tables, accusing Li Xueqing of disguising herself and secretly sailing to the mainland, thus suspected of betraying the sect.

The two argued endlessly, and the sect leader and elders did not take sides, but simply asked them to give up.

This incident seemed to have been a huge blow to Li Xueqing. She returned to her own Qingcui Peak to recuperate and has been out of contact for a long time.

Han So-yeon replied:

"Senior brother, I have been keeping an eye out for the disciples who deliver the necessary supplies to Elder Li, but I haven't noticed anything unusual about Elder Li."

"According to the disciple, Elder Li only meditates and heals his injuries every day, and there are no other unusual movements."

Upon hearing this, Liang Jin felt a slight doubt in his heart.

Li Xueqing doesn't seem like someone who can keep her composure like that.

Furthermore, Li Xueqing's injuries should have healed long ago thanks to the miraculous medicines from Baihuatang.

However, there's no reason to guard against thieves for a thousand days.

If Li Xueqing isn't eliminated sooner or later, she'll become a menace.

Last time, Yu Linglong gave him a death order to bring Li Xueqing back alive, but next time, when Liang Jin finds a suitable opportunity, he must send Li Xueqing to her death.

"If only I could trick her into leaving the island..."

A hint of murderous intent flashed in Liang Jin's eyes.

(End of this chapter)