Republic of China Era: Entering the Dao through Divine Strike.

When the great formation was torn apart last night, the energy exploded with a roar, as if an earth dragon were turning over.

A flying piece of gravel hit him on the forehead, and blood gushed out immediately.

Behind him were two adjutant generals, also wounded, their armor covered in dust and their cuffs stained with dried blood.

"We've been cleaning all morning, and we're still not done."

The Empress Dowager's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth, "Grand Preceptor, this great formation shook, and a corner of my Wanfu Tower collapsed."

Li Xin had been inside for less than an incense stick's time before he snatched the dragon's energy and left without a word.

Tell me, who in this Qing Dynasty can control him?

The prince lowered his head even further.

A bearded military officer next to him opened his mouth, about to speak, but was glared at by the prince and shut up.

They all knew that even the great formation overseen by the Grand Preceptor Wuchang could only trap Li Xin for a short time, and in the end, he managed to tear an opening and escape.

Sending ordinary imperial guards up there would be nothing short of suicide.

"Alright, everyone, get out of here. Continue repairing the garden. Get more people involved and clear the stone path in front of the main hall before dark."

The Empress Dowager waved her hand, as if shooing away a swarm of flies.

The prince felt as if he had been granted a pardon, and he and two adjutant generals backed out of the palace gate.

The hall fell silent again, with only the occasional soft popping sound coming from the charcoal stove.

The ginseng tea, which had been simmering on the stove for a long time, was bubbling away, but no one went to take it.

"Come out."

The Empress Dowager suddenly spoke, her voice colder than when she spoke to the princes, and a layer of weariness lingered beneath it.

A person walked out from behind the glass screen to the right of the phoenix chair.

He was thin and old, his gray monk's robe had faded from washing.

They walked very slowly, each step feeling like stepping on a knife's edge, yet landing without making a sound.

Before last night, this old monk had been sitting in the Wuchang Courtyard of Wanshou Garden for a full sixty years, never stepping out of the courtyard gate.

Although the crack has torn open a corner of the great formation, it is far from breaking the formation...

Li Xin had only been in and out for a short while, so logically speaking, the old monk still couldn't be considered to have left the garden.

But that crack did change something after all.

The old monk Wuchang stood there, his body exuding a withered, lifeless aura that had been dormant for sixty years, now faintly showing signs of life.

It's like a tree root that's half-buried suddenly getting soaked in the rain.

He was locked in the formation for sixty years. His Dao foundation grew stronger and stronger, and his strength increased, but he became increasingly unable to move.

Now, a link in the chain has loosened, and a corner of the foundation has crumbled.

Whether it's a blessing or a curse, even he himself couldn't say for sure.

The Empress Dowager seemed to notice the subtle change in him, but she didn't ask any questions. She simply gestured with her chin to the eunuch beside her and said, "Prepare a seat for the Imperial Preceptor."

The eunuch brought over the brocade stool, but Wuchang stood still, his gaze passing over the palace gate and landing on the still-smoking ruins in the distance.

“Last night I said I could keep this person here, but I overestimated myself.”

His voice was hoarse and dry when he spoke, a stark contrast to his calm and indifferent demeanor in the formation the night before. "From entering the formation to escaping, it took less than twenty breaths. His strength is enough to allow him to leave and come out of the formation in a short time."

His decision surprised me greatly. Anyone else, seeing the Dragon Ball right before their eyes, would likely have risked lingering to seize it, but he didn't.

The Empress Dowager tapped her fingers lightly on the armrest twice, her nails making a soft, crisp sound as they struck the sandalwood: "Is the Imperial Preceptor praising him?"

"Belittling your opponents will not make me stronger."

Wuchang's tone returned to its emotionless indifference, "This humble monk's foundation has not yet been restored, and the power of the formation cannot be fully unleashed."

Even in his current state, he is far from being a match for him.

However, if this person wants to escape, that's a different story.

Thinking of the agility Li Xin displayed last night, which was like a phantom soaring through the air and a rainbow piercing the sky, the old monk Wuchang couldn't think of any way to stop him.

Even among the disciples of the Great Snow Mountain Academy, the one most skilled in the Body-Walking technique, Senior Brother Wuwang, his movement speed wouldn't be this fast.

As long as Li Xin doesn't want to fight, there's no complete formation to trap him in place.

Even if we could easily defeat him, we couldn't keep him.

"Is there really no other way?"

The Empress Dowager's pupils contracted slightly, and a hint of fear appeared in her eyes.

Facing a master who comes and goes without a trace, unless one hides forever within the great formation, wouldn't it be extremely dangerous to leave the garden?

Moreover, even within the grand formation, it is not absolutely safe.

The other party moved freely in a short period of time.

If the old monk Wuchang fails to take proper care of things, then...

Of course, the other party might not dare to risk death and being blocked to re-enter the park.

But what if?

"It's not that there's no way. If we can join forces with another cultivator of the same level as this monk, and take advantage of the formation's home ground, we'll have an 80% chance of keeping him here."

The prerequisite is that he must step into the center of the formation… The crack from last night is still there; this humble monk alone cannot trap him.”

"Add another expert?" The Empress Dowager narrowed her eyes slightly.

"Yunhu, the old priest of the Longevity Cult."

When Wuchang mentioned this name, he spoke as casually as if he were talking about the weather: "This humble monk has already sent someone to inform him... that we should join forces to kill Li Xin. After the deed is done, the dragon pearl will belong to this humble monk, and he will receive 30% of the dragon's energy. He agreed."

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, a look on her face that was hard to tell whether it was mockery or helplessness: "That old codger Yunhu, back then I asked him to help prolong the life of the late Emperor... He made excuses all the time, saying that lifespan is limited and the will of Heaven is hard to defy. How come he's willing to do it now?"

“His lineage cultivates the path to longevity, and they cherish life even more than this humble monk.”

The voice of Wuchang remained completely calm, "Now that the dragon vein has been broken, the dragon energy is gradually dissipating into the world, and all forces are eyeing it covetously."

If he doesn't step in to fight back, he might not even be able to extend his life for the last few years.

Previously, he was suppressed by me and didn't get any benefits, so naturally he wasn't willing to give his all; now, the benefits are practically offered to him, and if he doesn't take them, he'll just be waiting to die.

The Empress Dowager gazed at the smoking ruins outside the palace, her eyes deep and unfathomable, as if she were chewing over every word the old monk had spoken.

After a long while, he spoke again: "Even if the Imperial Advisor and Yunhu join forces, they still have to lure that kid into the formation first."

He's not stupid. Having already experienced the power of this tactic, why would he fall for it a second time?

"He's not stupid, but he has one weakness."

Wu Chang slowly raised his eyes, his golden pupils gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the firelight. "He lacks a proper title."

The Empress Dowager didn't respond, but only raised her eyebrows slightly, signaling him to continue.

"A poor boy from a farming family in Cangzhou climbed out of the mud with his bare hands."

They may say they don't believe in the imperial court or fate, but deep down they still crave justice.

He didn't hate the Qing Dynasty, he hated the injustice.

The imperial court gave him official status and military power, allowing him to legitimately fight the foreigners he hated most. Even if he knew it was a trap, he would still hesitate...

Everyone around him would tell him that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

"You mean, give him an official position?"

"Grand Admiral of the Southern Navy, concurrently in charge of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi."

Wu Chang spoke calmly, as if reciting a prepared report, "On the surface, it's about giving him military power to fight the foreigners, but secretly it's about killing three birds with one stone..."

Once he received the imperial decree, he was to leave the capital to take up his post, and there was no need for him to be on guard day and night in the capital.

If he really went to fight the foreigners, he would be taking the bullets for the Qing Dynasty. If he won, it would be because the court was well-prepared; if he lost, it would be because Li Xin was not skilled enough.

If he comes to the palace to express his gratitude... Yunhu and this humble monk will wait for him in this garden.

The Empress Dowager pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "What if he sees through this trap? That brat even dared to break into the Qianqing Palace with a knife, showing no respect for imperial authority whatsoever. I don't believe he would obediently come to his death for a python robe."

"Of course he can see through it."

Wu Chang's tone remained completely unchanged, "This humble monk never expected him to believe it. When this imperial decree reaches Li Yuan, his people will urge him to accept it, and he himself will suspect it's a trap, but it will come eventually..."

He didn't come to express gratitude; he came to tell us that he wants both the fish and the bear's paw. Even if he doesn't want anything else, he definitely wants the Dragon Balls.

"This concerns the foundation of enlightenment; even if the Heavenly King himself stood in your way, it would be useless."

"Wouldn't all my efforts have been in vain?"

"He has to be given a reason to think he's smart."

Wuchang raised his eyes again, his golden pupils gleaming with even colder light. "He's here, and he's entered the formation. Whether he accepts the decree or not is no longer important the moment he steps back into the garden gate."

The Empress Dowager was silent for a moment, then a smile slowly appeared on her lips.

The smile was faint, but it contained a more genuine sense of pleasure than the previous sneer: "So this imperial edict is not bait."

"It's an invitation. Just like the Feast at Hongmen back then, even though Liu Bang saw through the fact that the feast was no good, he still had to attend," Wu Chang corrected.

"But that's only one aspect. There's also an invisible shackle."

The old monk continued, "Li Xin has a senior sister named Cheng Feiyan who has always been in contact with the Reform Party."

Although the Reform Party has fallen, it still has a base in the south.

All he had to do was let his subordinates slip a word that the governors-general of several southern provinces were outwardly compliant but inwardly defying the court, and that they urgently needed an imperial envoy who could keep order.

When these words reached Cheng Feiyan's ears, she naturally went to persuade Li Xin.

He was asked to go south to train a new-style navy, so that if foreign fleets invaded the seas again, they wouldn't be powerless to resist.

The Empress Dowager chuckled softly.

The laughter was soft and short, like a hum from the nose, but it was genuine laughter: "The Grand Preceptor's move even took into account the people around that kid."

He himself may not have faith in the imperial court, but he had faith in the people around him.

If the people around him believe it, he will hesitate.

People make mistakes when they hesitate.

"Sometimes I just can't figure it out."

She suddenly spoke again, her coldness lessened, replaced by weariness. Her gaze fell on the ruins outside the hall, as if she were talking to herself, "A poor boy from a farming family in Cangzhou, who can't read many characters and has never had a full meal since he was a child."

How could he allow me to sit here and discuss with the Imperial Advisor how to trick him into joining the scheme?

"I have lived for nearly a hundred years and have seen those who are destined by Heaven and those who defy Heaven and change their fate."

The voice of the impermanent was as calm as water: "The former, like the Empress Dowager and the late Emperor, were born to be above all people."

The latter, like Li Xin, climbed out of the mud bare-handed, stepping on bones with every inch he went up.

Such people do not believe in fate, the imperial court, or anyone else.

He only believes in his own fists. That's why he's both difficult and easy to deal with.

The difficulty lies in his lack of weaknesses, while the ease lies in his overconfidence that his fists can deliver justice.

What the Empress Dowager needs to do is to give him justice.

The Empress Dowager withdrew her gaze, pondered for a long time, and slowly spoke: "Draft an edict. Appoint Li Xin as Grand Admiral of the Southern Navy, concurrently in charge of military affairs in Guangdong and Guangxi, and bestow upon him a python robe, jade belt, and imperial sword. He shall take up his post immediately."

He also bestowed ten thousand taels of gold and a thousand bolts of brocade to renovate the Imperial Preceptor's residence... The expenses were to be covered by the imperial treasury, and the renovations were to be done in a more respectable manner.

He wanted the entire capital to know that the imperial court had treated Li Xin well.

Then, a message was sent to the governors-general of several southern provinces, saying that the imperial court was going to send an imperial envoy south to oversee military affairs, and that they should prepare to receive him in advance.

Once this news spread, even if Li Xin didn't want to go, the people of the land were eagerly awaiting his arrival.

The eunuch brought over the writing implements. The Empress Dowager picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and held the brush tip above the imperial edict for a moment, but did not immediately bring it down.

She looked up at the old monk Wuchang: "Imperial Preceptor, what if he doesn't come to express his gratitude after this imperial decree has been sent?"

"He will definitely come."

Wuchang's voice remained calm, but it deepened slightly on the word "certainly," "He stole those two hundred and thirty taels of dragon energy last night, which was the essence accumulated by the dragon vein over sixty years."