The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 146 Stop
True Lord, True Lord...

These two words shattered all of Lü Taiyu's thoughts in an instant. After his mind froze, countless random thoughts surged and rose, turning into resentment.

The intelligence report clearly stated that he was just an ordinary person!

They are only military strategists of about the eighth rank, and they have a connection with the Jinghe Dragon Lord and a chance of being connected with the Taishan lineage; sending these three is actually a bit of a waste of their talents.

Three seasoned killers, with seamless teamwork and the ability to take down sixth-rank Xuan Officials, are all capable of killing a wounded, severely injured, and ordinary Military Xuan Official. It seems like the task would be extremely easy for them to work together to kill him.

However, it was actually the young Taoist priest from the military lineage who displayed terrifying fighting ability. Judging from his fighting style, he must have at least a hundred years of righteous cultivation. The title of "True Lord" completely shattered Lü Taiyu's mentality.

Were we used as pawns in a test?!
He was filled with rage and murderous intent, but he could not betray them because of the unique mark of the secret guards. Zhou Yan said, "I have already crippled these three people. I would appreciate it if you could hold onto them for me for the time being. Also, where is my Uncle Shen?"

The local deity said, "Master Shen is at the Wofo Temple, while Lord Long has already returned."

Zhou Yan asked, "Where is Li Sanlang?"

The land deity's expression grew increasingly respectful, yet also somewhat puzzled: "The sage seems eager to leave this place and return to Chang'an, and even took a direct waterway, not the Jing River system, but the Jialing River, a major tributary of the Guanzhong Plain."

Zhou Yan, however, saw it clearly.

Is it Li Longji who wants to leave, or is it someone else who is in a hurry to leave?

The Earth God wasn't good at fighting, but he had a general understanding of the local customs and traditions, and he was especially good at transmitting information about the earth's veins. Zhou Yan thanked him, and the Earth God quickly replied, "You're too kind, True Lord," and picked up several thick vines.

And just like that, they tied the assassins up tightly.

Zhou Yan tapped his fingers on the hilt of the knife, his mind racing with thoughts.

Whether it's the close cooperation between these three people or the fact that the other side was able to quickly track down Zhou Yan's identity and background, it's clearly an official tactic. Among those who are Zhou Yan's enemies, it must be Li Heng's confidant, Li Fuguo.

How should this be handled?
Zhou Yan stretched out his hand, and the jade talisman with the character "Tai" swirled around.

………………

boom! ! !
The Jialing River is a major tributary in Shaanxi. Large ships cut through the waves and sailed forward. Li Fuguo ordered most of the Fengxiang cavalry to travel by land to divert attention, while he himself took Li Longji by boat, not along the Jing River system, but along the Jialing River.

With a keen mind, he knew that the Taoist priest seemed to be related to the Dragon King of the Jing River.

Therefore, they refused to cross the Jing River.

The plan is to take a detour, meet up at another location, and then return to Chang'an.

Li Longji was not dissatisfied with this, nor did he want to implicate the innocent people of Wugong Town. On the large ship, he watched the autumn tide rise and the waves surge. Gao Lishi, Chen Xuanli, and Gao Shi were all there.

Li Longji watched the water lapping against the riverbank, and after a moment of quiet contemplation, he said, "Your assistance this time is of great merit."

"What reward would you like?"

Gao Shi spoke in a calm voice, "I am fifty-three years old and have already established my reputation in both literature and military affairs. Personally, I have no other desires, but..."

Li Longji asked, "But what?"

Gao Shi said, "I have an old friend who got involved in the Yongwang affair."

"That person was also known to the retired emperor, Li Bai."

"He has a sharp tongue and is now in prison on charges of treason, one of the ten most heinous crimes. Given the current situation, he will probably be executed once things settle down."

Li Longji said leisurely, "Li Taibai has studied swordsmanship, Confucianism, Taoism, and even the ways of the wandering alchemists. Although his Xuan Guan realm is only at the fifth rank, he is recognized as having the [intention] of the upper three ranks."

"Because his own realm was connected to that breath, he was called the [Demoted Immortal]."

"Someone said that if he weren't so obsessed with official titles, he would be the most likely person in the last five hundred years to reach the upper three ranks."

"With such a great reputation, would my son dare to kill him?"

Gao Shi said, "The Emperor previously decreed that anyone who had served under An Lushan would be held accountable upon their return. This has made many officials who were forced to serve under An and Shi dare not return."

"The rebels' will to resist is even stronger."

"Later I regretted it, but it was too late."

"If the emperor treated An Lushan and Shi Siming this way, he would only take Prince Yong's rebellion even more seriously and hate it even more."

Li Longji lowered his eyes. The root of the Yongwang Rebellion was actually the choice made by the retired emperor who was unwilling to give up the throne. Gao Shi was one of the key figures in Li Heng's defeat of the Yongwang.

To rescue his friend, instead of going to the emperor, he went to this retired emperor.

There is no such thing.

Li Longji said, "Gao Shi, you are now a man of great merit, a military governor of a region. In terms of literature, you are renowned throughout the land. In terms of military prowess, you command the twelve prefectures of Guangling. With your talent, it is not surprising that you will be ennobled in the future."

"Why don't you ask my son for help yourself?"

Gao Shi said, "Sages are free-spirited, but they are ultimately suspicious."

“I am the general who quelled the rebellion of Prince Yong, while Bai is Prince Yong’s advisor. In the current situation, if I plead for mercy, what will the Emperor think? In that case, I am afraid that Bai will suffer the consequences, and I myself will be in danger.”

Li Longji said, "Then you'll beg this old man for help?"

Gao Shi paused for a moment, then said, "I have already spoken with Lord Guo in secret. If His Majesty the Emperor Emeritus also speaks up, at least Taibai's life can be saved, and someone like him will not end up dying in prison."

Li Longji said, "Is this what you wanted to protect the emperor?"

Gao Shi replied, "Yes."

Li Longji said, "Should we tell that madman Li Bai?"

The composed general smiled slightly and said, "No need. If we tell him, that guy's mouth is not reliable. He will definitely write many, many poems. Then, the whole world will know that I bypassed the Emperor and went to the Emperor Emeritus to save the advisors of Prince Yong who was fighting with the Emperor for the throne."

"Given the complexity of the minds of sages today."

"I'm afraid my official position is also in jeopardy."

"Rather than waiting until then, when Li Bai and I are in the next cell writing poems in response to each other, it would be better to let this old fellow suffer a bit, and then leave this world and the court."

"The officials in the court are too preoccupied with their own thoughts, which is not suitable for a great roc like him. If he is willing, he can retrieve the deer he left in the famous mountains, spread his wings again, and soar to the heavens. Perhaps he can even achieve the realm of immortals."

Li Longji laughed heartily: "You dare to speak your mind, and even the powerful will look at you with disdain; Gao Shi, you are quite different from that madman. You are much more interesting than him. However, this time you shot an arrow and injured Li Fuguo. I'm afraid you'll suffer for it in the future."

Gao Shi said, "I am not afraid of a eunuch."

Li Longji simply smiled, pointed at Gao Lishi, and asked, "Are you afraid of him?"

Gao Shi said, "General Gao is not a eunuch, but a close minister of His Majesty."

Li Longji knew that Gao Shi was different from Li Bai. Even at this age, Li Bai was still the carefree young man he once was, while Gao Shi was already a famous general worthy of being ennobled.

The youthful passion was internalized and transformed into a fire within the heart.

Li Longji looked at Li Fuguo, who was standing not far away.

Li Fuguo was extremely ugly, but he was loyal to the current emperor Li Heng and was therefore given important positions. He looked at the group of people over there with a respectful expression, but his eyes held their own considerations.

He was still thinking about the secret letter from the sage Li Heng, which instructed him to bring the Taoist priest back. Li Heng used strong words in the letter, but he remained silent about the reason.

Li Fuguo served Li Heng loyally even before Li Heng gained power.

Therefore, it is clear that this means the sage valued this person extremely, to the point that he could not even tell this close minister the reason.

Originally, Li Fuguo planned to use three thousand Fengxiang cavalry to forcibly take the Taoist priest back, but he was stopped by the retired Emperor Li Longji. In addition, with the Huainan military governor Gao Shi present, Li Fuguo had no choice.

But then a new idea popped into his head.

On one hand, they devised a plan to bring Li Longji back to Chang'an. In order to protect Li Longji, Gao Shi's archers would definitely follow, which would divert these two groups of people. Then, they used the Plum Blossom Inner Guard, which was established during the Wu Zhou period, to try to deal with Zhou Yan.

He was accustomed to the power struggles and probing in the imperial court.

Such probing is to observe the other party's reaction. As long as the other party reacts, you can find out their background and methods, and then deduce their situation. It is like throwing a stone to test the waters and stirring up trouble.

After the Empress passed away, the Plum Blossom Guard was not eliminated.

Instead, he became the emperor's secret bodyguard.

All the cultivation methods are from the outer three gates, working together seamlessly to destroy people physically. Li Fuguo, arms folded, stared blankly at the ripples on the surface of the Jialing River tributary, waves crashing.

Li Longji said leisurely, "Since you're in such a hurry, Li Fuguo must have tested that kid."

"Ordinary internal guard methods wouldn't be able to harm that kid; it's just a matter of whether he'll retaliate."

Gao Lishi said, "A soldier's spirit is strong, but it's not a good thing to take the initiative to fight."

Li Longji tapped his fingers on the armrest and said leisurely, "Yes, taking the initiative to get angry would be an overreaction; there are still elite soldiers from Fengxiang on this ship. Once a fight breaks out, it will be easy to see how capable they are, and we will lose our elite cavalry in exchange for finding out that kid's background."

“My good son is perfectly capable of doing it.”

Gao Shi was fighting at the time and heard about the Lord of Mount Tai, but he didn't even consider that Zhou Yan was the Lord of Mount Tai. In other words, only Zhou Yan and Li Longji knew this identity. Even Gao Lishi only vaguely guessed and immediately dared not think about it.

Gao Lishi said, "That Taoist priest would be better off staying where he is."

"Don't make any moves; instead, you'll give people a sense of mystery and make them unable to figure you out."

Li Longji smiled and said, "Yes, the less you do, the fewer mistakes you make; if you do nothing, you won't make any mistakes."

"Given Zhou Yan's current situation, what you said is for the best."

"It's a pity, it's a pity..."

Gao Lishi's heart skipped a beat. He noticed the king's face was now lined with wrinkles, and even his hair was whiter than before. The king turned to the side and smiled, saying, "You understand the situation and the big picture, but you don't understand that Taoist priest..."

hold head high! ! !
As if echoing the words of the old king, the water suddenly burst open with layers of waves, and a deep dragon roar exploded in an instant. The water surface of the Jialing River tributary split open, and scales swam underwater.

The situation changed in a way that Li Fuguo had not anticipated.

"Dragon's Roar!!!"

Water systems are, in themselves, natural altars for the Dragon King.

What about the water of the Jialing River?
Thus, one can see surging waves, layer upon layer of waves, water droplets like clusters of pearls, a gale surging on the long river, crashing against the large ship, the sails billowing in the wind, and no matter how hard the oarsmen try to row, the ship remains completely still.

boom! ! !
The waves split open instantly, the water surged upwards, and then turned into rain. The military officers used the power of the beacon towers, and flames rose up, colliding with the water and turning into layers of white clouds that rolled and churned.

Amidst the water and clouds, a colossal dragon bursts forth from the water.

The dragon's body, hundreds of feet long, had its head, which was just above the water, level with the large ship. Water flowed like a small waterfall, cascading from between its scales. Its golden vertical pupils calmly gazed at the large ship.

A young Taoist priest dressed in ordinary robes sat cross-legged on the dragon's head, his sleeves rolled up.

They actually forced the giant ship to stop.

"Stop."

(End of this chapter)