Volume One, Chapter 54: The Conspiracy

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“Sir, this is bad!” Zhao Yuncheng gasped. “We discovered a cache of weapons and gunpowder in an abandoned residence south of the city!”

Lu Yunduan’s brows drew tightly together, and he rose at once. “What? Tell me everything.”

Zhao Yuncheng took a deep breath and continued his report. “Following your orders, we slipped quietly into the abandoned residence. At first, everything seemed normal. But in the basement, we found a concealed door. When we opened it, we discovered the place was piled high with swords, bows and arrows, and a vast quantity of gunpowder!”

A cold glint flashed through Lu Yunduan’s eyes. “It seems Li Cheng intends to arm a rebellion,” he said in a low voice. “Their actions today were most likely meant to…”

It was precisely because of these countless agents in hiding that the Embroidered Uniform Guard could learn whatever information it wanted. Yet, like the spies and undercover police officers seen in television dramas and Hong Kong films today, these people performed work of extreme danger. Some of them could never reveal their identities for their entire lives.

Besides, his relationship with Sun Chengzong was excellent. If everyone recommended Sun Chengzong and he alone refused, how would he ever face Sun Chengzong in the future? As for Zhao Nanxing, their relationship had never been particularly good. The two sides merely used each other.

Actually, this was hardly surprising. After all, an object capable of traveling through time and space was something scientists could only dream of obtaining. Who would ever complain about having too many of them?

No one knew where Gu Dalu and Yan Qi had gone, either. In the eyes of others, the movements of a newlywed couple always seemed somewhat mysterious.

Lin Shu watched him and burst into laughter, then raised three fingers and waved them before his face.

The late-Ming and early-Qing scholar Zhang Lüxiang once said, “The doctrine of religious fusion flourished nowhere more greatly than in Wang Yangming’s school. Examining the intent behind his teachings, one sees that he wished to bring Mohism entirely back into Confucianism. Yet as the influence continued to spread into the present day, this doctrine grew increasingly obscure while the other gained strength. No one fled Zen to enter Confucianism; one saw only people fleeing Confucianism to enter Buddhism. The waves flowed and the winds fanned them onward—who could say where it would end?”

Lin Shu said nothing. She merely watched the direction in which he had departed, lost in thought. She had always trusted Mo Ci, and she still did.

“Excellent! This Nan Juyi is truly admirable. Now that is a minister of Great Ming!” Emperor Chongzhen exclaimed, slapping his thigh in delight.

Mo Ci hurriedly drove his Porsche out and parked it in front of Su Huo. His expression was tense and solemn, and there was no room for argument in his voice.

Ranran twisted around and tried to pull open the car door, but it was still locked. Even after exerting all her strength, she could not move it. She turned toward Siming Yi, only to be startled all over again. Why had Senior Siming’s face suddenly become so grim?

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Yet even this ordinary birthday song—even a song that had once been pleasant but had been sung into utter disarray by everyone—nearly made Long Xue cry aloud. In all her years, no one had ever celebrated her birthday like this. She was deeply moved, truly and profoundly moved…

“You really are beyond saving. How could you accept such a loss? She never even told you how many contribution points she would exchange for it. She gave you a few, and you accepted them!” Misty Rain said indignantly once more.

The entire scene fell silent. Everyone widened their eyes and stared at what was happening before them with expressions that were both silent and uncanny.

The Drunkard’s fists roared through the air, drawing cheers from countless guests. Yet when the routine finally ended, not a single drop of wine had spilled from the jug.

At first, when they heard that they were supposed to cooperate with the Cai family, the brothers of the Kuai clan were somewhat unwilling. But Lord Pang Degong made the matter sound so grave that they understood its seriousness and readily agreed.

A surge of anger rose within Sun Shilin, but he immediately suppressed it. He could naturally tell what Shangguan Shi meant. More importantly, he could see that Lü Fei had begun digging a pit for Shangguan Shi. The real show was about to begin. He only needed to be patient a little longer, and soon he would get to see the ugly look on Shangguan Shi’s face.

Li Yang had long since become thoroughly familiar with Zhang Rang’s residence. Without much trouble, he slipped several luminous pearls into Zhang Rang’s hands.

Thus, this battle, though it would appear graceful and flamboyant, with complicated and dazzling techniques, would in truth be decided by a single move.

Seeing the burly man charging toward him in great strides and sweeping past his eyes, he finally lowered his head sharply.

He flipped it open casually. His eyes immediately widened until they were larger than a bull’s, and cold sweat instantly covered his back. Seeing his expression, Duan Yusheng’s heart sank little by little. He came over and looked as well.

That day, he piloted the Boundary-Breaking Boat away from the battlefield at high speed, then found a secluded forbidden ground and hid there.

She had long been dissatisfied that her spiritual power could not keep pace with her bloodline and physical body. Now that she had such an opportunity, there was no better time to use it.

Before she could react, Doris had already thrown herself into her arms, wrapped one hand around her, and quietly leaned against her shoulder.

At these words, Lin Zhiruo was instantly left torn between laughter and tears. “He’s far richer than I am. How could that be possible?”

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Fortunately, the Mother of the Spring-and-Autumn Butterflies knew that the Devouring-Heaven Insect Venerable had once used his own bloodline together with various treasures of heaven and earth to refine a supreme-grade pill called the Devouring-Heaven Pill. It had originally been intended as a gift to an emperor of his clan, to help him break through into the Quasi-Sovereign Realm, but he had lost it to the Undying Heavenly Venerable in a wager.

After this great battle, Li Yan adjusted the deployment of his troops. He planned to build a large military camp south of the city and another to the north, concentrating his forces so that, should anything happen, large units could be dispatched quickly as reinforcements.

After receiving the notification, the viewers surged into Douyu Room 001 as though they had reached a climax, frantically using bullet comments and gifts to express their excitement.

“Without the general’s order, no one is permitted to enter,” the guard at the door said without compromise.

Tong Jing walked over, crouched beside Tong Yao’s bed, and smoothed the disheveled hair scattered across his forehead. “I’m sorry.” She truly felt sorry.

Following the temporary road that extended along Scorpion Ravine, a temporary airport had been built in an open valley of Taifeng Mountain. Heavy transport helicopters took off and landed, carrying supplies from Nanquan City to Taifeng Mountain.

Several days later, the defensive map was completed, though it had not yet been finalized. Xiao Yongye brought it back to his residence and studied it carefully beneath the lamplight for a long while. The following day was his day off, so he took Gu Yange and the two children to visit Prince Keqin.

Beginning on February 16, word spread throughout Baye City that, apart from having Su Nanyu continue pursuing Qianshui Qing, another elite border-defense force of thirty thousand men was to be reassigned to pursue the Iron Wind Banner. It had to be eliminated as soon as possible. The other two banners would be pursued by the city garrison.

“Two weeks. Will that be enough?” Yang Pu was deeply excited inside, but he continued striving to suppress it, unwilling to appear overly enthusiastic.

He had enough room in his heart and did not cling fanatically to either extreme. Yet the example before him in the present filled him with sorrow. The virtues required of people in ordinary life amounted only to meeting the standard of moderation—the standards generally possessed and accepted by society. Anything beyond that was useless. Once people rose above that foundation, they looked only at utilitarian value.

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