Invasion Myth: Starting with the Schoolteacher

Chapter 989 Liang Shizi MVP
With your intelligence, you shouldn't be capable of playing any word games; I'm probably just overthinking things.

Imagine, I, Xu Bailian, have traversed the north and south of the Yangtze River, ventured into the underworld, fought demon kings, and experienced countless conspiracies, tricks, open and hidden attacks!
Thinking to myself that even if someone wanted to scheme against me, they must be a master in the cultivation world or a giant in the human realm, and King Liang's level and strength were enough to qualify him to have some karmic connection with me.

Who would have thought... no matter how much I planned, I never expected that I would be "arranged" in such a muddle-headed way by you, you clueless young man!

It's a real stain on his career!
Xu Xuan looked at the Prince Liang, who was still smugly waiting for praise, and for a moment he didn't know whether to be angry or amused.

What's infuriating is that a fool suddenly had a flash of inspiration and dragged the dignified White Lotus Saint Father into a ditch.

What's funny is that this guy unknowingly invited the White Lotus Demon King into his home and even stumbled upon the conspiracy within his own palace.

Even Xu Xuan, who is used to all kinds of storms and has an amazingly thick skin, now feels somewhat embarrassed and troubled by this strange situation.

This is an experience I've never had before.

Every previous causal connection had a cause, a process, and a result.

While it may not be described as a series of interconnected steps, it is at least a gradual process.

This time, however, it was far too abrupt; neither I nor the Liang King and his group were prepared.

How will this end?

Are we going to immediately turn hostile and stage a full-blown fight here, killing each other to silence witnesses?
Xu Xuan narrowed his eyes, his internal energy flowing silently as he assessed the feasibility of instantly subduing Li Gongfeng and any potential guards before him, and then forcibly breaking through.

As for concealing information, that might be a bit difficult.

The atmosphere became extremely oppressive, with undercurrents surging, as if a single spark could ignite it.

At this critical moment when tensions were running high—

"Hahahahahaha..."

A burst of hearty laughter came from afar, breaking the suffocating silence in the courtyard.

"Talented Scholar Xu! Divine Physician Xu! I never imagined that I would meet such a renowned talent as Xu, so famous throughout Jiangnan, here and today. I am truly overjoyed!"

As the voice spoke, a middle-aged man dressed in casual clothes, of average height and appearance, with a warm smile and a slightly plump figure, walked calmly into the courtyard.

His arrival was like a gentle touch on a taut bowstring, instantly easing the heavy atmosphere.

The visitor was none other than the King of Liang!

The aura is purple with gold, and a dragon with bared fangs and claws soars up and down within it, signifying its noble status.

"Father!" Upon seeing his father, the Crown Prince of Liang was overjoyed, completely unaware of the danger that had just occurred, and greeted him cheerfully.

What do you hope for most after making a contribution?

They just want to be seen by "those above"!

The timing of his father witnessing his great achievement was, in his eyes, absolutely perfect!

It must be that my filial piety moved Heaven!

As expected, the Prince of Liang wore a seemingly kind smile and scolded the Crown Prince with a laugh, "Lian'er, how can you be so ill-mannered? Since you have invited such an honored guest as Scholar Xu, why did you not lead him to the front hall to serve tea, but instead brought him to this remote place? This is truly outrageous!"

"I was just thinking about Uncle Li..." The prince didn't catch the warning in his father's words at all; instead, he felt that his father was creating an opportunity for him to show off.

Once his spirits lifted, he was about to begin his long "report of achievements" and "mental journey" that would last for the time it takes an incense stick to burn.

No wonder Liang Shizi can do things that even many big shots from both the righteous and demonic paths cannot.

Even at this point, his mental fortitude remained "good," his logical thinking remained "clear," and he continued to talk eloquently, preparing to boast extensively.

If left unchecked, he might really embellish the story he just told and go on and on for another half a day.

So, King Liang interrupted the crown prince's impending long-winded "recount of merits" in an extremely gentle tone, as if coaxing a child:
"Alright, alright, Lian'er, I know how filial you are. There's nothing more for you here, go out now. I'll give you some good food later."

With just a few words, they dismissed this "genius."

Although the young prince was still not satisfied, he felt that the tribute of fruits and melons was a positive response, so he happily bowed and withdrew. Before leaving, he did not forget to give Xu Xuan a look that said, "Look how much face I have."

Once that fool left, the courtyard returned to quiet.

The smile on Prince Liang's face faded slightly as he turned to Xu Xuan and began a very "business-like," impeccably polite exchange. He first bowed with his hands clasped in greeting, his tone carrying just the right amount of apology: "Scholar Xu, what happened today was truly due to my lax discipline, which allowed my son to offend our distinguished guest. If there was anything impolite about him, I hope you will forgive him and not take it to heart."

Then, he used a series of self-deprecating terms such as "my son is unruly" and "my unworthy son is dull-witted".

His attitude was very sincere, as if the tense scene just now had never happened.

Now that the atmosphere had eased, the problem that had to be addressed was the secluded room in front of them and the obviously unusual "patient" behind the screen.

The fact that the King of Liang could live such a prosperous life near Luoyang shows that he was wise.

Instead of trying to hide it any longer, he naturally steered the conversation towards the topic of treating the illness, saying in a relaxed tone:
"Speaking of which, Xu Jieyuan may not know, but when I was young, I was classmates and close friends with He Yuangan, the current governor of Yangzhou. Later, he was appointed military governor of Yangzhou, while I was enfeoffed in Liang. We were separated by great distances and had much less contact, but I have always kept this friendship in my heart."

He paused, looking at Xu Xuan with admiration: "Before the New Year, Yuan Gan wrote a letter to recommend you to me. In the letter, he praised you highly, saying that 'among the scholars of Jiangnan, Xu Hanwen of Qiantang is the best.' He said that you are not only academically excellent, but also of excellent character. What is especially rare is that your medical skills are unpredictable and have the ability to bring the dead back to life."

"I originally planned to formally invite you after you arrived in Luoyang for the imperial examination, so that we could reminisce about our hometown and I also have something to ask of you."

"Unexpectedly... Hehe, it was Lian'er who accidentally invited you over first. Although the method was not quite right, it can be considered... fate."

King Liang spoke clearly and gently, cleverly filling in the gaps in the cause and effect, and incidentally providing a seemingly reasonable explanation for why his foolish son had gone to invite Xu Xuan.

Xu Xuan finally understood why the royal palace in Liang Kingdom was so interested in him, a "famous doctor from Jiangnan".

It turns out that it was Governor He who recommended him behind the scenes, which makes perfect sense.

Thinking to himself, when the two were still in their "honeymoon period" before the New Year, this Lord He was fairly reliable and could barely be considered a decent person.

He recommended Xu Xuan to gain fame in the north, so that he could use Xu Xuan's "medical skills" to befriend high-ranking officials like the King of Liang and expand his own network of connections.

At the same time, Xu Xuan can also use this opportunity to establish himself in the northern scholar-official and elite circles, gaining access to several potential avenues for advancement.

It was a win-win situation, with both sides getting what they wanted. At the time, it was considered a pretty good deal, a mutually beneficial arrangement.

But after the New Year, the situation had changed drastically.

Judging from the ambush in Jiangbei, it's clear that He Yuangan has other ideas, and may even have already stood on the opposite side.

Xu Xuan didn't care what kind of cooperation he had with anyone in the court or any power in the north, but if they wanted to sacrifice him for their own gain...

Haha, a mere governor of Yangzhou, he really dares to defy the heavens and court death!
Once I have completely taken control of the entire Yangzhou water system and established the Bao'an Hall's influence in every inch of Jiangnan, this governor can "accidentally" die of illness or "unfortunately" encounter water bandits.

As for the seemingly gentle Prince Liang before us...

But how could this prince, who could raise such an "outstanding" son as Prince Liang, possibly have such a refined and easygoing demeanor?

Besides, can you really maintain a persona of "refined and easygoing" so easily?

While his mind raced with thoughts, Xu Xuan remained outwardly calm.

They decided to go with the flow and give King Liang face, to see what he was really up to.

Both sides tacitly agreed to follow the "script" provided by the other party, and temporarily acted out the cause and effect in a superficial manner, maintaining a semblance of harmony.

After exchanging pleasantries, King Liang stopped beating around the bush and gestured for Xu Xuan to leave. With a slightly solemn expression, he led him around the huge screen covered with talismans.

Behind the screen, the view suddenly opened up, but it also became even more eerie.

An exquisitely carved canopy bed came into view, and the person lying on the bed finally revealed their true face...

The man lay supine on a sickbed covered with brocade, already emaciated, with only a skeleton barely supporting his body.

However, the skin was not pale, but rather an extremely ominous crimson, as if the blood in the whole body was boiling and burning under the skin.

Upon closer inspection, it's even more chilling.

On the skin, newly formed carbuncles resembled blood beads that had been forcibly squeezed out, densely covering the entire body.

The old, festering sores resembled bizarre flowers blooming on rotting flesh, with curled edges that revealed the bone.

Yellowish-green pus mixed with dark red blood seeped continuously from these wounds.

(End of this chapter)