The Reversal of Heaven Begins with The Smiling, Proud Wanderer

On the surface, the assassination attempt on Niulan Street was a trap set by Lin Gong and the Eldest Princess for Fan Xian.

But in reality, it was a scheme set up by Lin Mu for Cheng Jushu.

Trading the life of an eighth-rank master for a hundred Blood Bodhi stones that can mass-produce masters is an absolute steal.

According to the system's explanation, a single Blood Bodhi seed is enough to enhance an ordinary person's cultivation level by several decades.

Of course, the specific effects vary from person to person.

For a martial artist in the Acquired Realm, one pill might be equivalent to sixty years of arduous cultivation; but for a master in the Innate Realm, the effect is greatly reduced, and they might only have ten or twenty years left; as for a Grandmaster Realm, it is already rare to increase their refined power by one or two years.

Its biggest advantage is that it has no side effects, and the first use is the most effective.

Lin Mu had a sudden thought and chose to accept it.

One hundred warm, lustrous, and jade-like blood-red fruits quietly appeared in his system space.

Lin Mu turned to look at Fan Xian and Teng Zijing, who were covered in injuries and in a sorry state, and casually took out two blood bodhi beads that shimmered with red light and handed them over: "Eating these will be good for your injuries."

"What is this?"

Teng Zijing looked at the fruit in his hand, which was glowing red and radiating a faint heat, with surprise. He had traveled all over the country for many years and had never seen such a strange fruit.

Fan Xian took the fruit. It felt warm and smooth to the touch, and he could vaguely sense the immense energy contained within it. He frowned slightly, feeling that the fruit looked strangely familiar: "This fruit... I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."

Lin Mu succinctly stated: "Blood Bodhi. It heals wounds if there are any, and increases power if there are no wounds."

"Blood Bodhi?!"

Fan Xian's voice instantly rose eight octaves, his eyes widened as he stared intently at Lin Mu, his tone filled with disbelief: "That Blood Bodhi from Feng Yun? You must be joking!"

The Earth in Fan Xian's memory is highly similar to the world before Lin Mu's transmigration, and even many film and television works are similar, only the cast is different.

He had watched "Wind and Cloud" and knew all too well how much of a bug Xue Bodhi was in that series.

But it was precisely because he knew that he found it outrageous!

What happened to the post-nuclear wasteland world we were promised?

How come even rare and precious medicinal materials from martial arts dramas are popping up?

Lin Mu was too lazy to explain the existence of such an extraordinary system to him, and simply said, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't ask. If you're not going to eat it, give it back to me."

"Eat! Of course I'll eat, only a fool wouldn't. Thanks!"

Fearing that Lin Mu might change his mind, Fan Xian quickly stuffed the Blood Bodhi into his mouth. The fruit melted instantly in his mouth, and a hot yet gentle warm current surged into his throat.

Seeing Fan Xian's reaction, and considering Lin Mu's status as a Grandmaster and the divine and demonic methods he had just displayed, Teng Zijing realized that if he truly wanted to harm them, he wouldn't need to use poison. So he tilted his head back and swallowed the poison as well.

The moment the Blood Bodhi entered their stomachs, both of them changed their expressions.

A surge of pure energy, as powerful as a rushing river, exploded within their bodies, gently yet irresistibly flowing into their limbs and meridians.

The bruises and wounds on his body healed rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and even the hidden injuries and blocked meridians caused by the fierce battle were quickly cleared and repaired by this powerful medicine!

Moreover, that vast energy was not exhausted; instead, it began to frantically merge into their true qi, propelling their cultivation level to climb at an unprecedented speed.

"boom!"

"boom!"

As if an invisible barrier had been broken, the two of them suddenly surged with power, breaking through the barrier and stepping into the realm of ninth-grade martial artists.

"My injuries are completely healed! And my power has increased a lot. It truly lives up to its legendary reputation as a miraculous healing medicine!"

Fan Xian moved his hands and feet in disbelief, feeling an unprecedented surge of power throughout his body, an indescribable sense of comfort.

Who would have thought that being assassinated could turn out to be a blessing in disguise!

At the same time, his curiosity about Lin Mu reached its peak.

Where did this guy get this thing from? Does the Lingyun Cave really exist? And does it even have a Fire Qilin?

"Many thanks to Mr. Lin for the medicine that saved my life. I will never forget it!"

Teng Zijing absorbed the medicinal power a little slower. After his realm was completely stabilized, he immediately suppressed his excitement and knelt down on one knee in front of Lin Mu with utmost solemnity, performing a grand salute.

This is not only a kindness in healing his wounds, but also a great kindness in helping him break through to a higher realm!

Lin Mu accepted the bow and then raised his hand to help him up, saying, "Get up."

"You've had it tough too. Take your wife and children and leave Kyoto, this dangerous place, as soon as possible."

"Your weaknesses are too obvious. If you stay, your wife and children will eventually become bargaining chips for others to threaten you against Fan Xian."

In the original storyline, Teng Zijing's death was a great regret.

Lin Mu can save someone once, but he may not be able to arrive in time every time.

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian immediately realized what was happening and said in a deep voice, "Teng Zijing, Brother Lin is right."

"Take your family to Danzhou to settle down first, it's relatively safe there."

"After I've dealt with all this mess in Kyoto, I'll go back too."

"With Brother Lin here, no one can easily touch me."

Having survived this brush with death, Fan Xian felt even more disgusted with being involved in the struggle for the throne between the Crown Prince and the Second Prince, and was even less willing to implicate those around him.

Letting Teng Zijing leave first is the best option at present.

Teng Zijing glanced at the unfathomable Lin Mu, then at the resolute Fan Xian, and knew that this was the best arrangement.

He nodded emphatically, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "In that case, I will immediately return to prepare and take my family to Danzhou. Fan Xian, Mr. Lin, we'll meet again in Danzhou!"

After saying that, Teng Zijing didn't linger any longer, turned around and left quickly, his figure disappearing around the street corner in no time.

Fan Xian straightened his tattered clothes, looked at Lin Mu, and asked the question that had been bothering him: "Brother Lin, how come you happen to be here today?"

Lin Mu glanced at him sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Knowing you're in for some bloodshed today, I came to see what the excitement was like. How about it, exciting?"

Fan Xian's lips twitched: "...It was quite exciting, I almost messed up! Do you know who wanted me dead?"

He already had several suspects in mind, but he couldn't determine who the mastermind was.

"Lin Gong".

Lin Mu gave the answer directly: "Your cousin Lin Wan'er's second brother."

"He was the one directly carrying out the orders, but he received them from your dear aunt, Princess Li Yunrui."

"Lin Gong went to Si Lili before and borrowed the secret order from Northern Qi in order to mobilize Cheng Jushu. It seems that the Princess has really gone to great lengths to prevent you from taking over the Imperial Treasury, even going so far as to collude with Northern Qi."

Fan Xian's gaze turned cold, and he memorized the names "Lin Gong" and "Princess" firmly in his heart.

Then, he looked at Lin Mu again: "Brother Lin, since you already knew about the assassination attempt on Niulan Street, why didn't you tell me beforehand? It would have been better for me to be on guard. Don't you consider me a brother?"

"Tell you in advance?"

Lin Mu chuckled lightly, carrying the still crackling halberd, and slowly walked forward: "What's the use of telling you? If you can avoid Niulan Street, there's still Malan Street and Zhulan Street."

"If you can only steal for a thousand days, how can you expect to guard against thieves for 850 days?"

"Why not turn the tables on them, let them reveal their trump card, and then crush them with one blow? At least that will make them feel the pain for a while and keep them quiet for some time."

"Besides, you can take this opportunity to play the victim and maybe force your emperor father, who is hiding in the deep palace watching the show, to do something."

At this point, Lin Mu paused, his tone slightly mocking, and lowered his voice to say, "Or... why don't you just be ruthless and learn from Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, and stage a Qing Kingdom version of the 'Xuanwu Gate Incident'?"

"Have your Uncle Wuzhu take action and kill the Crown Prince, the Second Prince, the Eldest Princess, and all the other princes. Then confront your father, force him to abdicate, and become emperor yourself."

Upon hearing this, Fan Xian waved his hands repeatedly in fright and said with a wry smile, "Become the emperor? Forget it, Brother Lin, don't make fun of me."

"If an emperor is to be a wise ruler, he has to get up earlier than the rooster, sleep later than the dog, work harder than the ox, balance the court, scheme for the world, and worry about the borders... This job is too tiring. I am lazy and my ambition is not in this."

"I still think being a carefree, wealthy man, enjoying the company of beautiful women, suits me better."

"It's worthless."

Lin Mu laughed and cursed.

The two chatted as they walked out onto the street.

Although they come from different parallel worlds on Earth, their similar modern memories and ways of thinking give them a lot in common, and they get along quite well when they chat.

As soon as they stepped onto the street, they saw a group of people rushing towards them. The leader was Zhu Ge from the Overwatch Council and Wang Qinian, who looked anxious.

"Oh dear! Lord Fan! Are you alright? I was so worried about you!"

Wang Qinian rushed to Fan Xian, looking him up and down. Seeing that Fan Xian, though his clothes were torn and stained with blood, was full of energy and even seemed to have a stronger aura than before, he was momentarily stunned. "What happened to you...?"

"Thanks to you, I'm not dead yet."

Fan Xian rolled his eyes at Wang Qinian, annoyed, and complained, "Why are the people from the Surveillance Bureau like the police in Hong Kong movies? They always wait until everything is over before they show up?"

[What Hong Kong film? Police? Is it some kind of agency like the Surveillance Commission? I'll have to ask the Director later.]

Wang Qinian was taken aback at first, then paused for a moment before smiling sheepishly and rubbing his hands together, saying, "Young Master Fan is too kind. We rushed here as soon as we received the news!"

Zhu Ge examined the battlefield traces with a solemn expression, especially Cheng Jushu's gruesome body that had been split in two and the shockingly large cuts on the wall. The more he looked, the more horrified he became.

He couldn't help but cast his gaze at the lazy-looking young man in blue carrying a halberd, already guessing his identity.

[Is this the power of a Grandmaster? To be able to wield the power of lightning is simply superhuman!]

Chapter 89: The Yandere Eldest Princess

Imperial Palace, Imperial Study Room.

Emperor Qing had long, black hair that was loose and wore a loose, dark robe with dragon patterns. He stood barefoot on the cold gold bricks.

He held a longbow made of sandalwood in his hand; the bow was shiny and had clearly been used and handled for many years.

His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, and he was intently aiming at a pair of fine steel armor standing in the distance inside the hall.

The eunuch Hou, standing to the side, kept his head down and his breathing deliberately soft, for fear of disturbing His Majesty's enjoyment.

A near-stagnant silence filled the air, broken only by the occasional soft crackling of the lamp flame.

Just as Emperor Qing's bowstring was about to be fully drawn, the sky outside the window suddenly brightened. A blindingly bright, blood-red lightning bolt tore through the gloomy sky, instantly illuminating the imperial study with an eerie glow.

Immediately following, even from a great distance, the deep and penetrating rumble of thunder continued to roll in, as if the heavens were enraged, beating a giant drum, the sound penetrating straight to the heart.

Emperor Qing's hand, which was gripping the bow, trembled almost imperceptibly, and the originally smooth exertion of force became slightly hindered.

He frowned unconsciously, then released his fingers from the string.

"Whoosh!"

The arrow shot out from the bowstring with its usual fierce momentum, but Emperor Qing could sense that its power was slightly weaker than usual.

With a crisp "ding," the arrowhead struck the breastplate of the armor with precision, bounced off, and fell limply to the ground with a few soft thuds.

Emperor Qing stared at the fallen arrow, his face expressionless, but his eyes were unfathomable.

The deathly silence in the hall did not last long, as a series of hurried but carefully concealed footsteps approached from afar.

A secret agent from the Censorate, dressed in a tight-fitting black outfit and looking travel-worn, strode in, knelt down without hesitation, and reported everything that had happened on Niulan Street in great detail, speaking rapidly yet with perfect clarity.

Cheng Jushu ambushed them, crossbow bolts destroyed the chariot, the maid fought to the death, Fan Xian was in danger, until finally, a crimson lightning bolt descended from nowhere and swept away everything.

As the spy recounted the events, Emperor Qing's previously calm expression darkened visibly, like the thick clouds before a storm.

His hands, which were behind his back, unconsciously tightened their grip on the longbow. With a soft "crack," the hardwood bow broke in two!

[The power of thunder? This is utterly inhuman! Lin Mu! Just who are you?!]

The turmoil in Emperor Qing's heart far outweighed his outward anger.

Cheng Jushu's entry into the capital was a move he tacitly approved and even promoted, intended to hone Fan Xian, force him to reveal all his trump cards, and also to test whether Wu Zhu would secretly accompany him into the capital.

All these ingenious plans were completely shattered by Lin Mu's domineering and tyrannical methods!

This completely disrupted his plans, giving Emperor Qing, who was used to controlling everything, the first taste of the intense discomfort of a chess piece being completely out of his control, or even having the chessboard overturned.

What made him even more uneasy was the power that controlled the thunder!

This completely surpassed his understanding of martial arts and even the common sense of the world; it was a power that only existed in myths and legends!

Even though a Grandmaster is strong, at most he can only shatter a few buildings with one move. In the end, he is still a mortal. When have you ever heard of someone who can control the might of heaven?

At least Emperor Qing himself couldn't do it.

This shows that Lin Mu's strength is very likely above his own!

This further fueled Emperor Qing's suspicion that Lin Mu was a "Heavenly Vein Being," and at the same time, he felt a great threat.