Wan Jian returns to his clan!

Chapter 229 Deceit and Intrigue, an Endless Cycle

afternoon.

The scorching sun shines brightly on the earth, and cicadas chirp tirelessly in the trees.

The air was thick with a scorching heat, making it impossible for anyone to find peace.

For Lu Wubing and his companions, this slight change in temperature was nothing unusual and had no impact whatsoever.

However, some of the petite women in the harem found it unbearable.

They came up with all sorts of ways to escape the heat, and would yell and curse at each other from time to time...

Some servants were even punished for not doing things properly.

The sounds of weeping and shouting could be faintly heard.

"let's start."

Lu Wubing wasn't particularly interested in the old emperor's harem, nor did he come to the palace to observe the vibrant and colorful life beneath its surface.

He stopped when he was still ten feet away from the Cold Palace.

He instructed Shen Xinzhu to take action.

Having roughly pinpointed the location of his target, Lu Wubing didn't want to waste any time and decided to go straight to the door.

He knew that the old eunuch, who had been hiding in the palace for nearly two hundred years, was also a master who was suspected to be at the True Realm.

Ensuring that someone like this has no chance of escaping is undoubtedly an extremely difficult task.

They considered mobilizing a large army to besiege the enemy, but after careful consideration, they felt it was inappropriate.

It wasn't because those soldiers were weak and useless.

Instead, if a large army is mobilized to search and surround the enemy, the enemy will immediately discover it, thus alerting them instead.

"This old monk will guard the northwest direction to prevent this person from escaping the palace and hiding in the deep forest."

The abbot of Dayuanguang Temple, the Venerable Fayuan, lowered his head and put his palms together, and spoke first.

It seems that there was never any grudge between him and Lu Wubing; on the contrary, he was extremely loyal to him.

“Very good. Thank you for your help, Master Fayuan. As long as we can hold him off for a while, we don’t have to worry about him escaping.”

Lu Wubing chuckled and nodded.

He knew what the Venerable Master Fayuan was seeking.

No matter how skilled a person is, they can be used for one's own purposes as long as they have something to ask for.

We're all from Dali, let's be friendly and get along well, why fight and kill each other?

"I can't guarantee that I'll be able to keep the old eunuch. However, escaping by entering the water from the east will be difficult."

Somewhat reluctantly, the old Taoist Qingyun tugged at his beard as he headed straight for the northeast.

This direction leads directly to the Wei River. Once someone breaks through and escapes into the river, it will be very difficult to capture them.

"Alright, Daoist Master, I owe you a favor this time."

Lu Wubing laughed.

Thinking back to what had just happened, he couldn't help but sigh, "There's always someone who can overcome something else."

The old Taoist priest was truly lazy, lazy to the bone.

He always made excuses when asked to help, until Princess Ji Wenxiu plucked three or four of his white beard hairs, at which point he reluctantly agreed.

Why does this happen?

Lu Wubing had almost figured it out.

Ji Wenxiu's birth mother, Lin Xinqiao, was a proper Taoist disciple who studied under an old Taoist priest... She entered the sect at the age of six, married at the age of eighteen, and studied for a full twelve years.

As for his apprentice, they had spent a long time together, and the old Taoist priest, being a lonely old man, had long regarded his female apprentice as his precious daughter, and their affection for each other was very deep.

As children grow up, they develop their own ideas, wanting to venture out into the world, and also have their own partners, choosing their own paths in life.

The old Taoist priest certainly wouldn't stop him, nor could he.

They could only silently turn around and re-enter the mountains and forests.

In a moment of carelessness, the apprentice died; in fact, it was suicide.

One can only imagine how guilty and distressed the old Taoist priest Qingyun must have felt.

His feelings towards Ji Wenxiu were extremely complicated.

I want to ignore it, but I can't bear to.

If we take charge, it will cause a lot of trouble.

Anyway, that's just the kind of conflicted person the old Taoist priest was. He genuinely couldn't bring himself to say too many things to refuse his grandson, Wenxiu.

So, at such an advanced age, I still have to go out and run missions, which is really tough on me.

Lu Wubing watched his retreating figure and thought to himself, "As long as he's willing to help, that's good enough."

Although the old Taoist priest Qingyun is not very reliable, he will still do his best to fulfill any promise he makes.

With his unparalleled skills, which he has never fully explored, and in conjunction with the monk Fayuan, they would surely be able to trap and kill that eunuch Li in the Cold Palace.

"What about me?"

Shen Xinzhu could already sense the somber atmosphere.

“Play the zither. No matter what, these ordinary women in the harem are pitiful, confined to the deep palace gardens. Preventing them from panicking and running around is for their own good.”

"Ah."

Shen Xinzhu took a deep breath and leaped onto a branch of a low tree. She picked up her zither and plucked the strings, and melodious music poured out like water.

A faint thread of affection, like the misty rain of late spring, slowly enveloped the entire harem.

As the palace servants walked along, their eyelids drooped, and ignoring the blazing sun overhead, they lay down on the ground and fell asleep.

Countless faint sounds, near and far, all vanished.

Even the tireless cicadas fell silent.

The sweltering heat inside the palace instantly turned cold and desolate, like being in a lonely graveyard at night, eerily quiet.

"Senior sister's zither playing is becoming more and more superb."

Lu Wubing exclaimed in admiration, then turned to look at the last person beside him, Huang Chengzong.

The eunuch Huang took a deep breath, bowed, straightened his back, and stepped forward with a mixture of longing and sorrow, slowly entering the Cold Palace.

It's like stepping into a battlefield and facing 100,000 enemy soldiers alone.

He couldn't refuse, nor did he want to refuse.

There was definitely danger, but he trusted the young general behind him.

I also know that this is the best opportunity.

Within three days, he could turn the world upside down and seize control of the entire capital of the dynasty, confiscating the property of sixty-seven high-ranking officials.

Not only was there no chaos among the common people, but there was also no chaos in the imperial court. The functions of the government were not paralyzed, and in fact, they operated even more smoothly.

That's not all.

The problems of food and land, which had remained unresolved throughout history, were largely solved in just a few days.

His methods were ruthless yet effective; although they seemed to offend many people, they actually won him more popular support.

There were far more people praising him than criticizing him.

Huang Chengzong didn't quite understand the underlying logic behind the other party's various actions.

But at least he can see the results.

With one heart and one mind, they fought together to resist Zhou...

This is the glimmer of hope.

With such a person standing behind him, what else could he not trust?
"Little Jinzi, you started school at six, lost your family at ten, were sold into the palace at twelve, entered the Imperial Kitchen at twenty-three... until the twenty-sixth year of Tianwu, when you took charge of the Imperial Horse Stable."

This journey has been fraught with bloodshed, and I've taken hundreds of lives. Surviving is no easy feat, so why did you choose to seek your own death?

Upon entering the cold palace, before even seeing a single person, Huang Chengzong broke out in a cold sweat.

He could only hear a hoarse, aged voice in his ear, which seemed to be warm and made the hairs on his ears stand on end, but he could not see where the other person was.

Die, die!

This time we're doomed.

The old eunuch was more formidable than I had imagined; I doubt I could survive a single move from him.

Huang Chengzong broke out in a cold sweat.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, but he forced a gentle smile and said respectfully, "Little Jinzi has come to pay his respects to the Ancestor. Years ago, my godfather once said that the only thing he could not repay in his life was the kindness of the Ancestor, which is truly a regrettable thing in his life."

He became more and more composed as he spoke: "My godfather also instructed me that our ancestor prefers quiet to noise, but if he has any instructions, let us do them personally, and we will certainly not make things difficult for him."

By chance, our family heard that our ancestor wanted to understand the mysterious seal, so we searched far and wide and found the descendants of Lu Chengyun who came to present the treasure.

This person possesses unparalleled talent. While he may not have fully comprehended the mysterious seal, he has at least achieved a high level of mastery. Could he perhaps clear up the doubts of our ancestor? "Such filial piety! Rare indeed..."

A sigh drifted from the cold palace, and the tone suddenly changed, "But what is the purpose of bringing so many experts? The little girl playing the zither made everyone fall asleep. Are you afraid that I will kill innocent people indiscriminately?"

The plan is good, but you may not know that Lu Chengyun dared to resist and stabbed me with his sword, but he also received a palm strike from me. From then on, his demonic intent surged, and he was doomed to die.

Such deep-seated hatred, yet his younger generation comes to help this old man solve his problems, ha, ha..."

"not good."

Huang Chengzong felt a chill run down his spine and cried out that something was wrong.

The previously devised plan was to arouse the greed of the old eunuch in the cold palace, first by appealing to his emotions, and then by using profit as bait.

I figured that unless the other person was completely oblivious, they would eventually show up and give me a chance.

If Lu Wubing were to offer up his cultivation experience with the [Form] character seal, it would be tantamount to handing his life over.

The strategy was certainly correct.

The mistake was that they misjudged the case back then.

What exactly happened between Lu Chengyun and this old eunuch is unknown to anyone but the two of them.

Lu Wubing unearthed his grandfather's diary in the underground palace behind Dayuanguang Temple. It only contained some fragmented medical cases and cultivation insights, without clearly recording all the past events.

And so, he gave himself away.

However, although the plan had failed, it still managed to lure the old eunuch out.

What Lu Wubing was worried about was not anything else, but the opponent's ingenious method of concealment.

After reaching the Returning to Truth Realm, all the Qi, blood, and true essence in the body, including the divine will, are gathered into a circle and stored within the small space of the mind, making them impossible to sense anymore.

Therefore, even if a highly skilled person at this level sees another person in person, they may not be able to tell just how high their cultivation level is.

They couldn't even tell whether the other party had ever practiced cultivation.

Not to mention sensing the other party's whereabouts with one's mind.

Locking onto an opponent from a great distance is simply impossible...

In such a vast palace complex, if such a person intended to hide, even with Lu Wubing's keen mind, he might not be able to locate him. It could very well lead to a game of hide-and-seek within the palace.

But as long as the other party makes a move, they will inevitably leave a trace.

Once that energy is locked in, it becomes extremely difficult to break free again.

In some ways, the plan was both a failure and a success.

Huang Chengzong had no idea what Lu Wubing was thinking. He only knew that his mind felt like it was sinking into a bottomless abyss of blood, and the stench suddenly rushed into his nostrils. Even if he closed his sense of smell, it was useless.

At the same time, nothing else could be seen in front of them except a lotus flower blooming in the sea of blood.

His resolve wavered, and he was momentarily unable to control himself.

Even though she knew she had to escape, she couldn't bear to look at that pure white lotus flower one more time.

At that moment, he seemed to see wealth and power, immortality, and even his own penis growing back.

"Do not……"

Huang Chengzong felt a pang of pain in his heart.

The lotus flowers before my eyes bloom and fade.

It was as if he was watching the most beautiful things slip away from him.

My mind gradually became unclear, leaving only the excruciating pain lingering in my heart.

"Buzz!"

suddenly.

Huang Chengzong seemed to hear a thunderous sound in his mind, just like the arrival of spring in February, when the weather was clear and rainy, and the world was full of vitality, when suddenly thunder roared in the sky.

The blood abyss before him was like a fluttering crimson veil, which soon dispersed, revealing an old face.

An old face with an orange peel-like appearance, full of astonishment.

He also saw the other person's withered arm piercing his heart, the cold claws already gripping his heart.

Blood flowed like a spring, rushing towards the other person.

My body also became weak and I was about to collapse.

Fortunately, he also saw a gleaming longsword pierce through his chest from behind, thrusting straight out and into the heart of the old eunuch opposite him.

Two streams of true energy were about to erupt like volcanoes.

The next moment, his body would naturally be torn to pieces.

The old eunuch's health wasn't necessarily much better...

Worth it.

The thought had just crossed my mind.

Another blur appeared before my eyes, and my body was lifted into the air.

There seemed to be three illusory figures swaying and colliding underfoot, and two figures passed each other.

"What a fast sword! It is said that the Eight Swords of Subduing Dragon can shatter the void and steal time... I did not believe it before, always thinking it was just the nonsense of ignorant people. But seeing it today, it is indeed extraordinary."

The old eunuch, aged as a withered tree, had his wrinkles smoothed out like paper, and his grayish-black skin became smooth and delicate with each breath. He stood tall and his back was broad.

His aura surged like ocean waves, with ripples of crimson lotus blossoms spreading in all directions.

Meanwhile, the puncture wound in his chest where his heart had been pierced was now visibly healing, with granulation tissue protruding before a drop of blood had even fallen.

"Lotus Body, Blood Shadow Thrust, Void Step..."

Lu Wubing pointed his longsword diagonally at the ground, looked down at the three small holes in his clothes at his waist and ribs, felt the blood poison in his waist being expelled, and the broken muscles of his golden body were growing back. He couldn't help but sigh, "This is the first time I've seen a fighting style that can rival the speed of the Flowing Light Sword."

Unfortunately, your Blood Shadow Strike technique is not quite up to par, and its attack power is somewhat lacking.

It only damages my skin, not the root cause, which is the only drawback.

In that instant, he did three things.

He attacked where the enemy was bound to defend, and as Huang Chengzong was dying, he drew his sword and pierced the old eunuch's heart.

At the same time, a tremendous life force was injected to protect Huang Chengzong, preventing him from dying easily.

Then, after receiving three moves of the old eunuch's Blood Shadow Thrust Technique, he threw a punch.

Don't be fooled by the old eunuch's nonchalant demeanor.

In reality, his heart was pierced, his chest was crushed, and after the outbreak of Hunyuan Taiqing True Essence, his liver and spleen were torn apart, and his essence was damaged.

Even if the other party used the [Form] character seal to replenish life force and repair the wound, it still consumed a small portion of the life force in the body.

As a result, they had no choice but to revert to their strongest posture and be on high alert.

That's why I look decades younger.

"Good, good junior. You have indeed mastered the [Form] character seal, and are even three points stronger than your ancestor."

That traitorous little Jinzi actually didn't lie to me.

Instead of being angry, the old eunuch laughed, looking at Lu Wubing as if he were looking at a big piece of fat meat.

"Since you know that I cultivate the Lotus Body of the Blood Lotus Sect, why don't you understand that this technique can absorb the blood essence of others, and its vitality is as vast as the sea? Minor injuries are nothing to worry about."

"But even if your injuries aren't serious, how long can you hold on? I've never heard of any cultivation technique in the Heavenly Star Sect that allows one to accumulate one's own vital essence; your lifespan is always limited."

"You don't understand. Human life is finite, but the universe is infinite."

I am not talented, but I have comprehended the method by which the life force of all things in heaven and earth returns to oneself. How can you, who secretly hides and sucks the blood of others to nourish yourself like a rat, compare to me?

Lu Wubing let out a long laugh.

An aura surged around him.

Endless vitality converges.

At this moment, his body became as clear and lustrous as jade, like a divine sword, emitting a dazzling luster.

"Today, I invite Eunuch Li to pass away. I will perfect your [Form] seal and carry it forward for you."

"How could this be? Impossible!"

The old eunuch's eyes almost bulged out of their sockets from staring.

For so many years, the scene I had longed for had appeared on someone else's life without any warning.

More than 180 years of obsession vanished in an instant.

He simply couldn't accept it.

"No, it's fake, it must be fake. You don't even have the True Seal, how could you possibly cultivate to the perfect state of endless life?"

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