The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 358 Everything Was Within the Lord's Calculation

"Please execute Zhongyue?!"

When Zhou Yan heard this, his mind immediately raced and he realized something—without a doubt, during the time he was trapped in Langzhong and elbowed Gonggong, he was unable to respond to the sacrifices at Mount Tai, and the Central Peak True Lord was becoming somewhat impatient.

Nanyue Zhenjun quickly recounted what had happened.

After saying this, he lowered his head and dared not look at the Lord of Mount Tai, his heart trembling with extreme fear.

Zhou Yan listened thoughtfully, pondering the matter in his mind.

"That old bastard Zhongyue, he really can't sit still, he's planning to cause trouble again."

"However, Nan Yue is also like that. He seems honest and kind, but he has a lot of thoughts. He secretly divined about my affairs. He clearly intends to go with Zhong Yue, but he is worried about the risks, so he is checking the situation in advance."

"Now he's biting me off, trying to use me to eliminate Zhongyue and protect himself. He's quick to act. He seems respectful now, but if I agree immediately, he'll see me as a tool to be used, and the prestige he built up will vanish in an instant."

"But there are indeed unusual movements at Zhongyue, and this matter cannot be ignored."

"what can we do about it?"

"Think about it, if Fuxi were here... what would he do?"

In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yan did not respond immediately. This spiritual world, connected by divination, fell into a suffocating silence, with only the spiritual light on the tortoise shell compass and the golden light on the wings of the three-legged golden crow.

Its light flickered like the light of a breath, reflecting his blurred yet majestic face.

The silence, like an invisible mountain, weighed heavily on the heart of the kneeling Nanyue Zhenjun. Beads of cold sweat gathered on his forehead, dripping onto his feet with a soft yet clear sound. His previous confidence crumbled, and he felt as if he were awaiting final judgment.

Finally, Zhou Yan spoke, his voice calm yet carrying an all-knowing coldness:

"Oh?"

Just one word, and that was it.

This terrified Nanyue more than any reprimand.

Zhou Yan lowered his gaze slightly, his eyes falling on the True Lord of Nanyue, as if they could penetrate his very soul. He didn't ask about Zhongyue or the reasons behind it, but simply said:
"Are you instructing me on how to behave?"

The True Lord of Mount Heng trembled and hurriedly touched the ground with his head:

"This humble god wouldn't dare! This humble god would never dare! It's just... it's just that Zhongyue harbors evil intentions, is disrespectful to the Lord of the Five Mountains, and even intends to disrupt the order of the Five Mountains. This humble god... this humble god is truly worried, which is why I risked my life to report this!"

"Extremely worried?" Zhou Yan repeated, his tone unreadable. He held up the tortoise shell in his hand and said calmly, "Your divination and prying into the secrets of heaven are already taboo. Now, you want to use me to eliminate dissidents?"

Regardless, a huge accusation was hurled at Nanyue Zhenjun, leaving his mind reeling. He wanted to say he had no intention of eliminating dissidents, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he recalled his earlier words, "Please execute Zhongyue."

My throat was completely blocked.

The Lord of Mount Tai's words forced him to the brink of defeat. He was faced with either an alliance with the Central Mountain or the use of the Lord of Mount Tai's power to eliminate his rivals. Both paths were dead ends. He turned pale instantly and almost collapsed to the ground.

However, Zhou Yan's tone did not end there. Instead, he abruptly changed the subject, speaking with a detached air of overseeing the entire situation:
"I already knew about the trip to Zhongyue."

Upon hearing this, the True Lord of Mount Heng suddenly looked up, stunned and incredulous. He saw the tendons of the Bashe Master on the waist of the Lord of Mount Tai, the Great Sun Golden Crow on his shoulder, and the Primordial Dragon Turtle in his hand.

Clues pieced together in his mind, forming a truth.

Lord Prefect...did you do this on purpose?!

It was a deliberate act of hiding, a deliberate attempt to avoid contact with Mount Tai.

He personally took action and launched a fierce attack on the deity Gonggong.

On the other hand, it was also a test for the other Five Sacred Mountains True Lords, to see if they were sincere or harboring malicious intentions. So, is this why the Western Sacred Mountain fell?

It turns out that the Prefect had already seen through it all!

I've just been observing from the sidelines.

Then, then... in the eyes of the Prefect, wouldn't my act of deceiving and informing make me look like a clown?
The heart of the True Lord of Mount Heng was filled with turmoil and fear.

"Heaven and earth are vast, and all living beings come and go. The rise and fall of a mountain, the life and death of a single thought, are nothing but ordinary in my eyes." Zhou Yan's voice was ethereal yet grand, further solidifying his persona as an ancient deity.

"Whether your actions today are loyal or treacherous, wise or foolish, I will judge for myself."

He paused briefly, allowing the power of his words to fully take hold in Nanyue's mind, before issuing his true demand:

"I have my own way of handling the matter of Zhongyue. It is neither the right time nor the right method."

Zhou Yan rejected the suggestion to immediately kill Nan Yue. Firstly, he didn't have time to kill him. Secondly, the fact that Zhong Yue had repeatedly caused trouble for the Taishan faction made Zhou Yan think that there were other forces behind this guy.

Now that we know their plans, instead of alerting them, we should play the long game and catch a big fish.

Yes, it needs to imitate Fuxi's tone and style, but remove some of the casual and playful elements.

Zhou Yan made up his mind, so he lowered his eyes and said calmly:

"Since you are devoted to Mount Tai, I will give you a task. Keep a close eye on Zhongyue and his followers. Record their every move and report it to me at any time. However, do not act rashly without my decree, and do not alert them."

"You, are you capable of doing it?"

The True Lord of Mount Heng, who was already pale with fright and trembling with fear, was overjoyed to hear these words. He bowed respectfully and said, "This humble deity receives the decree of the Lord of the Mountain!"

After a pause, he spoke respectfully, with a hint of flattery, "Lord of the Palace has not descended to the mortal realm for a long time. This humble deity has come to offer some congratulatory gifts to the Lord of the Palace. There are ten thousand incense sticks and gold beads, one hundred catties of each of the Five Elements Elite, and ten pieces of Millennium Warm Jade, which I will present to the Lord of the Palace's sacred site."

Incense and gold beads are used to replenish divine power and provide resources for cultivation after one becomes a god by relying on the fortune of humanity. The Five Elements Elite are top-grade materials for refining weapons and setting up formations, while millennium-old warm jade can nourish the soul and assist in cultivation.

This number is not small, and even the True Lord of Mount Heng showed a hint of heartache on his face.

Zhou Yan lowered his eyes and simply said, "...Yes."

"Go back."

Nanyue Zhenjun then respectfully gathered his spirit and mind, and in a daze, he returned to his own dojo. He saw the clouds and smoke swirling around as usual, but the cloud patterns on the table were all broken, and the six ancient copper coins were all cracked in the middle.

The True Lord of Mount Heng was pale and murmured, "...The world has changed."

Thinking of the orders from the Lord of Mount Tai, the True Lord of Mount Heng struggled several times before finally saying, "As the saying goes, it's better to die than to die. Fellow Daoist of Mount Heng, you have repeatedly disobeyed the Lord's orders, so don't blame me."

........................

Zhou Yan regained his composure and returned to his residence in Langzhong. Suddenly, the tortoise shell on his palm rippled like glass, with flowing light moving between the lines as if alive. Mysterious runes floated and disappeared within. The heavy aura that suppressed cause and effect and obscured the secrets of heaven made the surrounding air seem to solidify. Zhou Yan couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "What a treasure!"

You may not believe in Fuxi's character, but you cannot doubt his abilities!

He immediately examined it for a while before comfortably putting it on his waist.

While teasing the three-legged golden crow, he secretly pondered: "That old man Zhongyue is up to no good. This time, we can't let it end so easily. We need to figure out what he really means and what he's planning."

Let Nanyue hide near Zhongyue and send timely messages. When Zhongyue comes to visit, give him a big surprise.

The common people were unaware that Zhou Yan and his group had broken through this calamity, but the Taoists of the Dan Ding Sect in Qingcheng Mountain were well aware of it. They all came to express their gratitude and pay their respects. Zhou Yan and his group treated them with courtesy. In the past few days, only Xuan Zhuzi was clinging to life.

Shen Cangming, Pei Xuanniao, and Li Zhenyue, all three men from military backgrounds, focused their attention on the captured An Qing'en. The torture methods of the Anren Army, Shuofang Army, and Jinwu Guard were used one after another. The screams in the torture chamber were almost constant.

These three individuals were not inclined to use torture as a method; in principle, these three military strategists would not resort to private punishment.

Unfortunately, An Qing'en was standing outside the bounds of principle.

An Qing'en was not a particularly strong-willed or resolute person to begin with, so how could he possibly withstand this? At first, he gritted his teeth and tried to endure it, but under the double attack of physical pain and mental torment, he cried out and begged to confess after only half a day.

Pei Xuan Niao remained cold-faced, only allowing the executioners to continue, without asking a single question—he wanted to crush the last shred of hope in this traitor and make him spill everything he knew.

In the end, An Qing'en couldn't hold back any longer and confessed on his own initiative.

The information this person spoke was extremely significant. Shen Cangming and the others turned pale, their faces as if soaked in water condensed from a murderous aura. Zhou Yan couldn't help but grip his knife, asking, "An Lushan's whereabouts..."

An Qing'en's legs were broken and one of his arms was severed. He was now bound and locked in the dungeon, his spirits extremely low. He could only utter the words, "...My father, he, he, cough cough, encountered a bandit with a long gun and knew that the original place was no longer safe to stand in."

"It has been moved."

Zhou Yan asked, "Where did he move to?"

An Qing'en initially tried to stall and struggle, but under the power of torture techniques and magic, he quickly broke down, shouting, "In Luzhou! He, he's going to that area..."

Luzhou?!
The group exchanged glances, and Zhou Yan seemed to be deep in thought: "Luzhou, I remember there is a Fangshan Mountain there, known as the Little Emei and the Little Zhongnan, with both Buddhist and Taoist sects. What was An Lushan going to do there?"

Pei Xuan Niao said, "However, although this spineless man doesn't seem like the kind of person who would dare to talk nonsense at this time, what he says may not be true. Is that traitor really there?"

"What if he's talking nonsense, or what if An Lushan is hiding something from him?"

He had experienced a lot and had grown up, and he could think about these things. Zhou Yan also thought of these things. Looking at the tortoise shell at his waist, he suddenly drew his sword and slashed horizontally. The blade was sharp and cold. An Qing'en felt a pain in his arm and blood flowed out. He cried out.

Zhou Yan took An Qing'en's blood, and then used this blood and the tortoise shell to perform divination. Suddenly, the tortoise shell burst out with brilliant light, and clear hexagrams appeared between the shell patterns.

That connection to An Lushan's aura was absolutely unmistakable.

Zhou Yan sheathed his knife and wiped the blood from his fingertips:

“He wasn’t lying; An Lushan was indeed in that position.”

Pei Xuan Niao was stunned: "You also know divination techniques?!"

Zhou Yan glanced at the tortoise shell, his expression unchanged: "I know a little, I know a little." But now that it was confirmed that An Lushan was in Luzhou, they couldn't ignore it. An Qing'en seemed to have guessed his fate; his face turned pale, and he said:

"Wait, wait a minute, I... I'll tell you where he is!"

“I am my father’s favorite son. Take me with you. I am willing to be your hostage. I am innocent. I was caught up in An Lushan’s machinations. I am willing to put righteousness above family ties. Take me with you—”

"Take me with you, take me with you!"

He struggled, trying to grab Zhou Yan's trouser leg, his voice shrill, begging to live. Zhou Yan lowered his eyes, took half a step back, and said, "Well then, I have something I'd like to borrow."

An Qing'en exclaimed, "What?!"

"Whatever you want, I'll give it to you—gold and silver treasures, beautiful women and swords, anything you want."

Zhou Yan slowly uttered four words: "Your head."

An Qing'en's expression changed drastically, while Shen Cangming and the other two had already drawn their weapons, their cold gleam illuminating the dungeon. Three blades, each carrying the ferocity of the Anren Army, the stoicism of the Shuofang Army, and the sharpness of the Jinwu Guard, pierced An Qing'en's body simultaneously from three directions.

Three distinctly different military auras exploded within his body, instantly shattering his internal organs.

Shen Cangming's eyes were bloodshot.

Li Zhenyue and Pei Xuanniao both had icy expressions.

An Qing'en opened his mouth, blood gushing from the corner of his lips. His still-movable right hand gripped Shen Cangming's blade tightly, his palm bloodied and mangled from the cuts, yet he still tried to push the knife away—

He still wanted to live, but his life force had already vanished with the evil aura.

Finally, he let out a series of incoherent hoarse sounds before his head slumped down and he breathed his last.

Three swords were silently embedded in his body, and in a daze, it seemed as if the sound of a thousand horses galloping echoed in the dungeon.

Shen Cangming's chest heaved violently, and the anger and hatred in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by a heavy sense of disbelief and unreality. Even he, with his strong will, felt a sense of disbelief and unreality at this moment.

Finally, he drew his sword, shook it, and scattered the bloodstains on the blade.

As the three swords were sheathed, they hummed softly.

This blood feud has been brewing for far too long. Although only a small portion has been avenged today, it can be considered a belated closure for those fallen comrades.

At this time, Langzhong's connection with the outside world was restored, and the fog that had been obscuring everything finally dissipated. Everyone stayed here for the time being, while Zhou Yan was going to take Li Zhiwei back to Lishan to seek help from the Goddess of Lishan.

His escape technique was extremely violent, and even his own physique could not withstand it. However, now that his strength had reached the peak of the fifth rank, he could reach the fourth rank with a little recovery. His Dao foundation had undergone a transformation, and his ability to control the five elements of primordial energy was much stronger.

He spoke to everyone and told Consort Shen not to worry too much.

Zhou Yan changed into a simple blue Taoist robe, carrying various snacks prepared for the Goddess of Mount Li. He then carefully picked up Li Zhiwei. The girl's eyes were closed, her long eyelashes drooping over her eyelids. Although her face was somewhat pale, she exuded a docile tranquility, like a sleeping child.

At this point, I no longer felt that great courage.

Zhou Yan's gaze softened slightly, and he said in a low voice:

"Let's go and find the Old Mother of Lishan to save you."

The five elements of primordial energy gathered in front of him, transforming into layers of auspicious clouds.

Zhou Yan rode on the auspicious cloud, which lifted him up, avoiding the eyes and ears of ordinary people, and soared straight into the sky. His eyes swept across the four directions, paused at the location of the Five Sacred Mountains, and then flew towards the direction of Mount Li.

"Fortunately, we didn't get lost."

Zhou Yan carried Li Zhiwei along the way, seeing mountains and rivers rising and falling, the scenery was truly beautiful. However, he was worried about Li Zhiwei's health and had no mind to appreciate it. After walking for a while, Zhou Yan suddenly caught sight of an auspicious cloud in the distance.

There were also some figures on the auspicious cloud, holding something in their hands, as if they were investigating something.

Then, Zhou Yan saw the object on the tray circle around once.

It pointed straight at us!
Then, the figure on the auspicious cloud paused slightly, and then flew towards Zhou Yan with great momentum. When it got close, it suddenly dispersed and turned into eight figures, which surrounded Zhou Yan.

The next moment, eight figures simultaneously threw out chains, unmistakably surrounding Zhou Yan. Zhou Yan lowered his eyes slightly and said calmly:
"Who are you all? Why have you suddenly attacked this humble Taoist priest?"

At the head of the auspicious clouds was a noblewoman in palace attire, who looked incredibly beautiful.

Hearing this, he sneered, "Why did I suddenly attack you?"

"It can't be described as sudden."

"Hand over the woman in your arms!"

(End of this chapter)