Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Prince Wu’an of Daqian_1
Translator: 549690339
Qingzhou, Dianyuan Manor.
There was a very secretive stronghold, where Mother Wusheng and the Dharma King of the White Lotus Cult were hiding.
In Qingzhou and Huozhou, they kept eluding capture, exhausting the pursuing imperial experts. Even with checkpoints set up on the borders, the duo easily escaped.
Both of them were extremely cautious, never staying in one place for more than half a month before switching to another stronghold.
Despite this, they still were hunted time and again by the Daqian Empire, never managing to shake them off, which greatly frustrated Mother Wusheng, as it left her no time to spread her teachings.
Luckily, over the years, their injuries had gradually healed, otherwise their situation would have been even more miserable.
“When did we ever run to Leizhou and kill a Gang Yuan Realm Great Master of the Hehuan Sect?”
Half a year had passed before the two learnt of this news and were completely dumbfounded, as scapegoating was not done this way.
In these past five or six years, they had been so busy fleeing that they had never been to Leizhou, so how could they possibly have attacked Cui Pingyu? It was definitely a setup.
Yet both knew they were marked for blame and had no way to explain it, nor did they dare to show themselves to clear their names, but instead held a deep resentment in their hearts.
If they ever encountered the real culprit, they were determined to crush them effortlessly, to vent their pent-up fury.
Huozhou, Province City.
At this moment, a group of high-ranking figures were gathered here, whispering amongst themselves and occasionally looking in the direction of the Capital City, as if they were awaiting some important personage.
Among those waiting were the Protector General of Sanzhou Wan Guiyuan, Yang Tianxiong—one of the four Supervisors of Jingye Office, and the Protector Generals of Huozhou, Qingzhou, and Leizhou, along with several Hollow Sect Grandmasters.
“Brother Wan, this time, you and I have truly lost face,” said Supervisor Yang Tianxiong with a bitter tone in his voice.
Protector General Wan Guiyuan wore a similar expression, as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.
The two mid -stage Myriad Phenomena Realm Great Grandmasters, together with three Hollow Void Stage Grandmasters, had been hunting Mother Wusheng for six years. Although they had injured her severely on numerous occasions, they never managed to capture her; she always slipped away.
Keep in mind that Mother Wusheng was only at the beginning stage of the Myriad Phenomena Realm, far weaker than either of them. Their inability to eradicate the remnants of the White Lotus Cult had utterly humiliated them both.
Now the entire Daqian Empire knew of their repeated defeats at Mother Wusheng’s hands. Many powerful figures watched as though it were a spectacle, while Emperor Qian was furious beyond measure.
Having failed to eradicate the remnants of the White Lotus Cult in six years had shamed the Daqian Empire throughout the entire Xuan Domain, even spreading to other regions, damaging the empire’s influence.
Unable to eliminate the small White Lotus Cult, how could the Daqian Empire claim any strength? Could it possibly be hollow and frail inside?
Some Xuan Domain powerhouses who had initially restrained themselves were becoming restless again, but they still needed the right moment to unveil the facade concealing the true foundations of the Daqian Empire, and a new storm was brewing.
At such a juncture, the Kurong Sect, the Yinyang Sect, and even the archenemy of the Daqian Empire, the Da Jing Dynasty, showed no significant activity.
The White Lotus Cult was merely a pawn. Behind them was a mysterious force far more powerful than both empires and the two major sects.
If they were to confront the Daqian Empire first, wouldn’t they be cannon fodder for that mysterious force, allowing it to reap the benefits of the aftermath?
Amidst internal and external troubles, Emperor Qian heeded the advice of the current Grand Tutor and sent the capable and highly skilled Prince Wu’an to oversee the annihilation of the White Lotus Cult’s remnants.
“Here they come.”
Suddenly, Wan Guiyuan, Yang Tianxiong, and the others startled, without further discussion, they turned their gaze toward the distance.
A chariot was blazing across the sky; four extraordinary hybrid sea horses were pulling it, each at the God Refining Realm’s cultivation level, highlighting the mighty and domineering nature of the chariot’s owner.
As the chariot approached and landed in front of the city, an extremely strong aura swept over, causing Wan Guiyuan and Yang Tianxiong to frown slightly, but they said nothing, while the several Hollow Realm Masters behind them inwardly groaned.
At that moment, the overwhelming presence retracted, and a tall and valiant young man stepped out from the golden chariot, his features handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, a full Heavenly Court, his stride forceful and his demeanor embodying both dominance and dignity.
“Greetings to Prince Wu’an!”
A crowd of powerful individuals bowed respectfully, only Wan Guiyuan and Yang Tianxiong, the two Great Grandmasters, nodded slightly.
Prince Wu’an, Chu Hao, nodded slightly in return and gave a special glance to the two Great Grandmasters before saying, “Gentlemen, please rise.” Afterward, several Great Grandmasters and Grandmasters followed Prince Wu’an into Huozhou City.
Meanwhile, Han Li quietly returned to Lingjun City with Lin Yiyin, as if they had never left.
Lin Yiwu was still dressed as an old man, while Lin Yiyin wore the attire of a middle-aged person. Han Li handed Lin Yiyin over to Lin Yiwu, instructing the two women to get changed before coming to see him.
Han Li then went back to his sleeping chamber, put back the Body-Cultivating Furnace, and began to review the rescue operation.
According to the plan, he would disguise himself to visit other manors to purchase thorough intelligence on Cui Pingyu from Tianji Pavilion, ascertain his current cultivation level, observe the situation in Zhenyi City, and look for an opportunity to strike;
If Cui Pingyu did not venture out, he would buy a seventh-rank Formation Breaking Bead, find out where Lin Yiyin was detained, and then set an ambush halfway through;
He would initiate the first strike with the Body-Cultivating Furnace, and if that failed to kill, he would then engage in battle using the Collapsing Sun Sword Technique to eliminate his target, being careful not to reveal any martial skills he had already used.
After the deed, he would erase all traces of his own presence, intentionally leave behind a piece of black cloth with a white lotus pattern to provide the
Daqian Empire with an explanation, and increase the difficulty for the Hehuan Sect to pursue the investigation.
Throughout the plan, Han Li wore a human skin mask, with another disguised face beneath it. Thanks to his cultivation at the peak of the Gangyuan Realm, even if a Great Master discovered he was wearing a mask, they wouldn’t be able to see his true face.
If any part of the plan went awry, increasing the risk, Han Li would consider whether to continue with the operation, but he definitely couldn’t be reckless.
The progression of events followed his plan almost exactly; having killed Cui Pingyu and taken Lin Yiyin, Han Li also heard the news coming from Zhenyi City.
Cui Pingyu was killed by the White Lotus Cult. The city lord’s mansion immediately dispatched troops to pursue and eradicate all strongholds of the White Lotus Cult (Hehuan Sect) to ensure local security.
Han Li then changed his appearance once more and went to Tianji Pavilion to buy intelligence related to the incident, only to discover that even Tianji Pavilion did not know who had killed Cui Pingyu.
He breathed a sigh of relief, but a shred of worry lingered in his heart. Legend had it that Tianji Pavilion possessed powerful experts capable of deducing heavenly secrets, and much of their top-secret intelligence was obtained in this way.
If the Hehuan Sect took him seriously enough to spend a lot of money asking Tianji Pavilion to divine the identity of the killer, could they trace it back to him?
Han Li didn’t know.
But he knew that even if Hehuan Sect did do this, it would be a considerable time later. The sect would first conduct its own investigation and, only if they failed to find any leads and were willing to pay a significant price, might they possibly trace the murderer back to him.
All he needed to do was to continue to cultivate in peace, strive to break through to the Hollow Void Stage, and then the Hehuan Sect would pose little threat to him.
At this moment, a maid came to report from outside the hall, stating that the sisters Lin Yiwu and Lin Yiyin had already dressed up and were waiting for their next instructions..
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