Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 1011 Going straight to Huanglong
The group hurriedly returned to the Liang Prince's Mansion.

On the way, Xu Xuan looked ahead with high spirits, while Liang Shizi, who thought he had done something great, suddenly felt bored.

I was reminded of the King of Liang who was still "studying" in Luoyang.

"King Liang is shrewd and calculating, and he is a master of patience. His move of 'remaining still' and responding to all changes with constancy is enough to solve 99% of the problems."

"I also took an unconventional approach, taking advantage of the extreme information gap that the other party did not know the secrets of alchemy, and barely managed to lure the tiger away from the mountain."

"To be honest, seven parts of the reason we were able to force King Liang to leave was luck, and three parts was due to our cunning and clever methods."

"As for this Prince Liang in front of us..."

"It was so easy to completely control, it was absolutely no challenge at all."

It feels like running a dungeon, which is marked as Hell difficulty, but after you've made it all the way in, you find that the final boss isn't home.

Although the monsters were still troublesome, the overall atmosphere actually became... more relaxed.

And so, each with their own thoughts, the group hurried back to the imposing gates of the Liang Prince's Mansion.

However, just as he was about to step through the threshold at the main gate, Prince Liang suddenly stopped, as if he had regained some clarity.

This slight clarity might be a warning from the mysterious protection of the Prince's Mansion itself, or it might be the lingering pain from the three slaps on his face, or more likely it's a biological instinct—a last-minute struggle for survival in a dangerous environment.

He stood there stiffly at the gate of the Prince's mansion, as if frozen in place.

His expression shifted between light and dark, his eyes filled with hesitation, lingering fear, and an inexplicable struggle. Anyone who saw him would know that he was currently caught in a battle between his conscience and his inner demons.

Upon seeing this, Huiren, who was following behind, felt a sudden jolt in his heart:
"Oh no! This idiot... what if at this last moment he suddenly realizes his mistake and won't let us in?!"

He immediately realized that this thought was inappropriate, and quickly recited it silently in his mind:

“Amitabha, I have committed a sin. Even if he is the son of my enemy, I cannot slander him as a ‘fool’ without cause. This is a sin of speech and goes against the compassion of the Buddha.”

"It seems that due to the many recent changes, my spiritual practice has regressed..."

'Fool.' Xu ​​Xuan felt nothing at all; he even felt a little amused.

His discipline and practice of precepts had reached a point where there was no room for regression, so he could speak out without any burden.

Sometimes things are like that. Just when you've made it to the final step, you fail at the last minute because of the opponent's sudden "brilliant idea".

After all, under the auspicious influence of this royal palace, it is quite reasonable for unexpected situations such as "surviving against all odds" and "sudden good fortune" to occur.

But Lao Xu is never one to give up easily.

Then, the devil's whisper... no, it was the enlightened monk's patient and persuasive "enlightenment" that struck right at the right time.

Xu Xuan sighed softly, his tone carrying just the right amount of hesitation and retreat:
"Sigh... let's forget it. Your Highness, after careful consideration, I realize that the treatment plan still has some flaws and risks, and is not perfect. Perhaps... I should go back and think about it carefully for another three days?"

A hint of undisguised joy flashed in Liang Shizi's eyes.

Can't be cured? Fine!

In this way, even if his father questioned him afterward, he could justifiably punish the quack doctor!

The scales in my heart have begun to tilt in a certain direction.

Xu Xuan seemed oblivious to his delight, and continued to slowly add fuel to the fire, his tone carrying a hint of "understanding":
"Besides, His Highness has already made it clear that this humble monk need not come again. As a prince, you ultimately cannot make this decision. This humble monk truly does not wish to put Your Highness in a difficult position."

Prince Liang was furious.

With Father away, who's in charge now?!
Do you really think I'm the kind of timid, cowardly rich kid who can't even make his own decisions?!
Libra was suddenly pushed back by this anger, and instantly tilted back in the direction of "going in".

Finally, Xu Xuan delivered the fatal blow, looking at the crown prince with "sincere" eyes and "earnest" tone:
"This humble monk... is doing this all for your own good."

Okay, that's the winning move.

The phrase "for your own good" was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The scales that had been swaying in Liang Shizi's heart were completely kicked away by him, leaving no more entanglement!
His already arrogant and domineering nature was further aroused by this moment, unleashing boundless "courage".

With a wave of his hand, he led Xu Xuan, Hui Ren, and his men, striding confidently through the grand gate of the Prince's mansion.

The moment I stepped across the threshold, it seemed as if the gears of fate were forcibly pried open, and began to spin rapidly against reason, even producing dazzling sparks!

A storm, destined to be anything but calm, has quietly begun to brew within this seemingly peaceful royal palace.

Next, Prince Liang began to exercise his authority as the "manager of the royal residence".

First, he dismissed most of his entourage, then waved away the armored soldiers who tried to follow him along the way. Then, with only Xu Xuan and Hui Ren, he headed straight for the depths of the palace along the same route he had taken before.

This time, Xu Xuan walked with even greater seriousness.

His gaze was calm and seemingly casual, but he was actually constantly observing the layout of the surrounding buildings and the changing positions of the sentry posts and hidden guards, memorizing the security arrangements in the core area of ​​the palace and comparing them with the last time.

They traveled smoothly all the way to the secluded courtyard located deep within the Prince's Mansion.

Familiar place, familiar guards.

When the guards saw the Crown Prince leading the way personally, a barely perceptible hesitation flashed across their faces, but it was quickly "smoothed out" by the Crown Prince's familiar, unquestionable arrogance.

The three of them once again easily entered this forbidden area, which even many high-ranking officials of the royal palace were not allowed to enter without permission.

After all, no matter how shrewd the King of Liang was, he couldn't possibly give his subordinates a clear order: "My foolish son must not be allowed to enter this place!"

Doing so would severely damage the crown prince's authority as heir, and would be tantamount to openly denying the fruits of his own education, which would be a path to chaos.

Even the last reprimand and confinement were conducted one-on-one in the study, and to the outside world it was only said that the crown prince needed to meditate and study.

This is a common way for powerful and wealthy families to cultivate successors.

To be fair, the Sima family did indeed inherit political wisdom in this regard.

A cruel official in later generations summarized these principles and wrote a book called *The Art of Fabricating Laws*. It states:

"If superiors lack authority, chaos will ensue below. Authority is established through ritual and discipline, and maintained through punishment; if it is lost through leniency, authority will be lost entirely."

King Liang was clearly well-versed in this.

Therefore, even now, Prince Liang's overt authority in the household remains firmly in third place, second only to Prince Liang and his wife.

In certain special circumstances, they can even be regarded as representatives of the royal palace, and their orders can, to some extent, override those of the princess, making them the temporary helmsman.

Otherwise, how could they have entered so easily, treating the heavily guarded Prince's Palace as if it were nothing?
Of course, for Xu Xuan and Hui Ren's "righteous team", this is not called a long drive, but a direct assault on the enemy's capital!
However, the monk Huiren's expression grew increasingly grim, even showing a hint of belated anger.

Recalling how he and several eminent monks from Linji Temple had devoutly set up an altar in a wing room not far from this small courtyard to "pray for blessings and ward off disasters" for the Prince's Palace.

Moreover, every time King Liang invited them to preach and expound the Dharma, the location was cleverly arranged nearby!

Thinking about this, I couldn't help but curse inwardly.

King Liang is truly ruthless!

Without uttering a word, he had someone else bear the immense karmic backlash for him!

"Fortunately...fortunately, Zen Master Fahai was far more virtuous and rescued us from this predicament!" He looked at Xu Xuan's back, his gratitude growing even stronger.

Composing myself, I knew that the next step was to confront once again the strange patient who was the source of all the misfortunes.

"Squeak-"

The door was pushed open.

That familiar, fiery aura, carrying the meaning of punishment and destruction, and the sense of decay rejected by heaven and earth, was even more intense than before, almost overwhelming and suffocating.

The layers of talismans pasted on the screen that served as a barrier were now mostly scorched, curled, and even had blackened edges, their spiritual light dimmed, clearly indicating that they were about to lose their effectiveness.

For a cultivator like Huiren, merely standing on the threshold, wanting to step inside, his spiritual senses were frantically warning him, as if what lay ahead was not a room but a boiling pool of blood and magma, something no ordinary person could withstand.

Xu Xuan's sharp eyes quickly scanned the room.

The mysterious and enigmatic Elder Li was not here, and I immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately... it seems this isn't the worst-case scenario. In that case, I don't need to implement the more extreme countermeasures I prepared in Plan H for the time being."

He said, "How can anyone stay in the same room with such a 'monster' that is at the center of divine punishment for so long?"

That's not spiritual practice, it's slow suicide, as if you're not dying fast enough!
Li Gongfeng was here before, probably only coming periodically to check and reinforce the seal.

Xu Xuan felt a little lucky, while Hui Ren was suppressing her overwhelming anger and discomfort.

The divine punishment aura above the temple was too invisible and distant. With his peak second realm cultivation, he could hardly sense it unless Xu Xuan had pointed it out and triggered the resonance of the fire seed.

Even now, when I sense something, it remains faint and elusive.

But now, standing before the source, only a few feet away, that pure and violent will, like a tangible shockwave, constantly washed over his Zen mind.

With one's mind in turmoil, it is almost impossible to maintain a clear mind.

However, since his Buddhist name contained the word "endurance," he forcibly suppressed his surging anger and resentment, remembering to prioritize Xu Xuan's interests and refraining from rash actions.

At this moment, Xu Xuan did not immediately go around the screen to check on the patient. Instead, he deliberately stopped and asked Prince Liang a question, seemingly casually:
“Young Prince, isn’t Li Gongfeng coming along? It would be safer if he were here.”

Upon hearing this, Prince Liang gave a smug snort, convinced he had seen through Xu Xuan's "trick":
"No need! You should see a doctor first. Why do you need so many people?"

In truth, he was extremely pleased with himself: "Hmph! You monk in scholar's clothing, do you think I'm a fool? That Li Gongfeng is clearly Father's confidant, always following Father's lead. If he knew I brought you here, he would definitely stop me!"

"Therefore, when I entered the gate, I had already arranged for my trusted subordinates to try to keep it a secret from Li Gongfeng for the time being. By the time he realized what was happening, I had already 'successfully made my way out'!"

In his view, this was simply supreme wisdom!

Li Gongfeng, who was kept in the dark, was indeed hurt by the Crown Prince's sudden "backstabbing".

He wasn't the Prince of Liang himself, so it was impossible for him to easily control the real-time dynamics of every corner of the Prince's mansion, especially when the heir was deliberately concealing it.

Although I was meditating in a quiet room, I felt inexplicably restless and anxious, and even had a vague sense of foreboding.

But it was precisely at times like these that he remembered the essentials of cultivation.

"At this very moment, one must quietly recite the Yellow Court Classic and guard one's mind to avoid being tainted by the calamity and falling into even greater disaster."

Therefore, the urge to investigate the outside world was suppressed, resulting in a fatal delay in receiving information about the Crown Prince's actions.

Thus, in this secluded courtyard, under the "wise and mighty" arrangements of the Crown Prince and the "cooperation" of Li Gongfeng's "observance of cultivation," everything... progressed with extraordinary smoothness.

Xu Xuan, accompanied by Hui Ren who was visiting the place for the first time, bypassed the almost ineffective talisman screen and saw the patient lying on the warm jade bed for the second time.

This time, without the menacing threat of Li Gongfeng watching from the sidelines, and without the subtle oppression of Liang Wang mixed with the aura of royalty, Xu Xuan's spiritual senses could finally be fully unleashed, allowing him to meticulously observe this body ravaged by divine punishment.

The scene before me was indeed several times more devastating than the one I had glimpsed last time.

Due to the extreme heat and rapid dehydration, a charred and cracked hard shell has formed on the patient's skin.

In the medical understanding of the legendary healer, which was ahead of its time, these brownish macromolecules were called "melanoidins," and their formation process was accompanied by the production of hundreds of complex flavor compounds.

This meant that the air was filled not only with the simple stench of decay, but also with a faint, yet even more chilling, aroma of roasted meat.

This is because the pH balance in the patient's internal environment becomes unbalanced under sustained high temperatures, leading to protein denaturation and flavor deterioration.

Moreover, due to the long-term "slow cooking", a large amount of bright red, potentially fatal carcinogens have been generated in the body.

"...These symptoms are actually a living Maillard reaction?"

Xu Xuan muttered to himself, his tone carrying an indescribable complexity, "Living like this is truly suffering."

I did feel a little pity; the scene was just too cruel and inhumane.

"What is the Maillard reaction?" Liang Shizi, who was standing to the side, asked instinctively upon hearing this unfamiliar term, showing a rare "eagerness to learn".

(End of this chapter)