——
Meanwhile, in the capital city.
Inside the palace.
Jin Fengluan looked at the white-bearded old Taoist priest in front of her, her eyebrows furrowed, and said:
"Imperial Preceptor, some time ago I heard that there was a mad Taoist priest spouting nonsense among the common people. He said a few words of gibberish, which were spread far and wide among a group of unruly people."
"I sent men to capture that mad Taoist priest, but he has vanished without a trace. We can't find him no matter how hard we search. The capital is right under my nose, yet we can't find him. This is truly mysterious."
"As for what that mad Taoist said, I would like to ask the Imperial Preceptor how to interpret it."
The white-bearded old Taoist priest, holding a whisk, waved it after hearing this and said, "Your Majesty, please speak."
Jin Fengluan pondered for a moment, then omitted the first half of the sentence:
"A strange pool appears by the water's edge where nothing is amiss; what does this mean?"
After speaking, the old Taoist closed his eyes and remained motionless. After a long while, he opened his eyes and said:
"As you can say, something happened by the water and a strange pool was formed, which means that this matter is not small."
Jin Fengluan frowned and pressed for more details.
The old Taoist shook his head. "Heavenly secrets cannot be fully revealed; this is all I can say."
Jin Fengluan knew he was always vague and unclear, so she didn't press him further. But soon, she changed the subject:
"A few days ago, I asked the Imperial Advisor to calculate when that traitor Qin Ze would be executed. Did the Imperial Advisor calculate the time accurately?"
The old Taoist priest's hand holding the whisk trembled slightly.
But soon, he calmly replied, "Your Majesty, I have been performing rituals these past few days, but I have not yet received a response from the immortals."
"It must be because the end of the year is approaching and the immortals are busy with their affairs that they have not responded to me."
"Your Majesty need not be in a hurry. Let this old Taoist priest find an auspicious day, perform a ritual, and then we will know the answer."
Looking at the ethereal and otherworldly-looking Imperial Preceptor, Jin Fengluan frowned slightly, a look of suspicion on her face.
"Imperial Advisor, it's not that I'm in a hurry, but the previous divinations I consulted with you all indicated very auspicious omens, yet we still can't get rid of Qin Ze. Now I've dispatched a large army to suppress Qin Ze."
"Why can't we get a result yet?"
The old Taoist closed his eyes again and slowly said, "Traitors and rebels will be punished by Heaven."
"Your Majesty is blessed with boundless fortune; there is no need for worry."
Upon hearing this, Jin Fengluan's eyebrows relaxed, and she nodded: "Yes, Imperial Advisor, you have enlightened me."
After speaking, Jin Fengluan turned and left.
After she left, the old Taoist opened his eyes, let out a long sigh, put down his whisk, and said to the boy:
"Why has the amount of money for incense offerings decreased recently?"
The young boy scratched his head and said, "I heard from the eunuchs that Qin Ze seized Anyang County, and the national treasury is very empty."
Upon hearing this, the old Taoist frowned, "I'm suffering along with them, alas!"
He sighed heavily.
——
The sky was overcast, with dark clouds and a cold wind blowing.
The massive army marched towards Yanluo Mountain, and the ground trembled continuously.
It was almost noon by now.
Although it was close to noon, the sky was still dim, and the wind was blowing even more fiercely.
Wu Kui, who was in the middle of the army, was marching and was only a few hundred meters away from the entrance of Yanluo Mountain.
Looking at the snow-capped mountains ahead, Wu Kui remained calm, showing little sign of tension.
Perhaps it was because he had been thinking all these years that he could one day avenge his defeat and wash away the humiliation brought about by the great defeat of the barbarians, but at this moment, Wu Kui was surprisingly calm.
As they drew closer to the mountain pass, Wu Kui shouted, "Be careful once you're inside!"
"That scoundrel Qin Ze is hiding in the shadows; we must not overlook him!"
At the forefront of the army were Shan Yi and Wu Rui, who led the way as the vanguard.
The journey was very peaceful, without any setbacks.
It was precisely this smooth journey that made the two of them even more wary.
A moment later, the army had reached the mountain pass when a horse's neigh suddenly rang out.
Wu Kui raised an eyebrow and looked down at Gu Hong.
He stroked the goose's soft mane and said softly, "I know there are ambushes in the mountains, but it's alright."
The lone goose shook its head and snorted.
The army continued its advance, and Shan Yi and Wu Rui had already led their troops into Luoyan Mountain.
It would take some time for hundreds of thousands of troops to all enter the mountains.
As time passed, once inside the mountains, perhaps due to the shelter of the mountains, the raging winds subsided.
The mountains were completely silent, as if there were no living creatures there.
Soon, half of the people had entered the mountain, and Wu Kui was about to step into the mountain as well!
At this moment, just a dozen or so steps further and you will step into Yanluo Mountain.
Just then, a sudden change occurred!
"hiss--"
A mournful neighing sound rang out, and the lone goose suddenly turned around, carrying Wu Kui as it galloped away.
The horse's neigh was so loud that a small pebble fell to the ground with a "thud" from the rock face above the mountain pass.
"Lone Goose!"
This unexpected turn of events caused Wu Kui to raise an eyebrow. He immediately tightened his grip on the reins, forcefully bringing the horse to a halt.
"With a major battle imminent, how can we retreat!"
"With a thousand troops at my command, even if it's a dragon's den or a tiger's lair, I, Wu Kui, will not be afraid! Let's go back!"
With a loud shout, the lone goose lowered its head and let out a soft cry.
But soon, it raised its head, turned around, and carried Wu Kui, following the army into Yanluo Mountain.
The army slowly entered and gradually disappeared into the towering mountains.
"call--"
The wind was still blowing outside Yanlu Mountain, and the sky was so dark it seemed about to collapse.
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