473 Chapter 473
"bite"
With a crisp sound, the pagoda, a symbol of the six kingdoms' vow of non-aggression, shattered into seven pieces.
He Xinsi looked at the girl who had just thrown away the light green paper strip and said slowly, "What you just saw was the scene of a vow that a famous sage from hundreds of years ago restored using the Nine Schools of Arts based on various records."
"According to the oath, the Floating Pagoda was shattered into seven pieces, scattered throughout the Xuan Gu Continent, and cannot be found or reunited."
It is impossible to know which generation broke this agreement.
Over time, people have clearly forgotten many important agreements.
He Xinsi said, "One day, the He family brought a fragment of a pagoda to Nanjing."
"At the same time, I have heard that the He family also brought a fragment of a pagoda to Qingyang, Taiyuan, and Zhou State."
"The He family?" Yu Sui raised her eyelids, surprised. "They want to break the oath of non-aggression?"
“They gave away the fragments under the guise of offering treasures, never explicitly stating that they wanted to push the six kingdoms to break their oath.” He Xinsi smiled meaningfully. “I have seen many members of the He clan come and go. Some are clever, some are foolish, and the fools are all dead.”
Yu Sui: "Some time ago, the Listening Wind Ruler had a mysterious message on it, which contained records and secrets of the He family. I was greatly shocked after reading it, but I don't know if it's true or not?"
He Xinsi asked, "Didn't you write that message?"
“I have already denied it to Her Highness the Holy Maiden,” Yu Sui said politely.
He Xinsi was skeptical, but after a moment of contemplation, she explained to her, "The He family today is far from comparable to the He family thousands of years ago. Instead, it relies on legends and records to strengthen its image in people's minds."
"It is true that the origin of the Five Elements and Nine Schools Techniques of the Xuangu Continent is related to the He family, and it is also true that the discovery of the Divine Mechanism Technique is related to the He family."
But how much of a connection is there? No one can verify it.
"As for the 'nation of ten thousand chariots' and the envoys of the three religions mentioned in the proclamation..."
He Xinsi revealed a mysterious smile: "The He family is trying to prove to us that this is not a legend."
"Is collecting the fragments of the Pagoda of Floating Pagoda, distributing them to various countries, and guiding the six countries to lift their oath of non-aggression the proof of the He clan's power?" Yu Sui asked.
"I can only tell you that the He family's goal is also to dissolve the oath, as for their motives..."
He Xinsi extended an invitation to Yu Sui: "In a few days, the He clan will discuss this matter with me. Why don't you come with me and listen to what their purpose is?"
“I’m afraid the Water Boat Saints guarding outside will come looking for His Majesty before the He Clan does.” Yu Sui looked outside. “I wonder if His Majesty will live to see that day.”
He Xinsi replied, "The people from Shuizhou are simply trying to persuade me not to break my oath. They believe that the Floating Pagoda holds the secret to eliminating the strange fire, and we will not make things difficult for each other."
These words clearly indicate that He Xinsi does not want to break the oath of non-aggression.
"Does Your Majesty also think so?" Yu Sui asked softly, "The Floating Pagoda holds the secret of the strange fire."
“All things are interconnected and interdependent.” He Xinsi said something that seemed completely unrelated.
He closed his eyes and said, "Tomorrow I will meet with Sun Heng and the others. You must kill the saint who has sensed the power of the Earth's core in the same way."
Yu Sui looked at He Xinsi, who was making a request to her, with great interest: "Why should I risk killing the saint of the Water Boat?"
He Xinsi said, "You're so smart, do you really think Sun Heng would allow the discovery of the Earth's core power outside of Taiyi?"
"Dean Sun would do anything for the sake of all people." Yu Sui walked towards the door and stopped at the entrance.
He Xinsi burst into laughter again.
"Young lady, you need to think this through. If I die, then no one will be able to save you."
Yu Sui's eyes flickered slightly as she turned to look back.
He Xinsi kept her eyes closed, a peaceful smile on her face: "Come, during my recovery time, tell me your story in Qingyang."
At midday, there was still no movement in the Five Delusions Hall. The three saints who went in did not come out, and the prince guarding outside the hall was also unable to enter.
Shui Zhou and Qing Yang, who were waiting outside the palace, only received a message saying that Emperor Nan Jing was currently interrogating someone and had no time to meet him, and asked them to come back tomorrow.
The people of Nanjing arranged a place for them outside the palace and did not allow them to enter the palace.
Gu Gan originally wanted to meet with Nangong Ming to discuss Yu Sui's matter, but he was unable to leave due to the restriction of the Four Directions Heavenly Array.
Inside the Tianxuan Palace.
After telling Sheng Fei about Qin Shan's arrival, Zhong Lique wanted to leave, but Sheng Fei stopped her, forbidding her from leaving his sight, just in case.
“Nangong Sui appeared as you wished, but you failed to seize the opportunity.” Zhong Lique frowned as she looked at the injured man who still pretended to be strong and cold in front of her.
These words struck a nerve with Sheng Fei, causing his expression to turn ugly immediately.
Zhong Lique raised her head slightly to look at him and asked, "Are you going to use me to threaten Nangong Sui next?"
Sheng Fei immediately noticed the wound on her neck, a mark left by Nangong Sui who had nearly beheaded her with the divine wooden stick.
If he hadn't been fast enough to stop it...
“Zhong Lique, is this how you treat your savior?” Sheng Fei said coldly. “If I hadn’t stopped her in the Tianlang Killing Formation, your stupid head would probably have been cut off by Nangong Sui on the spot.”
Zhong Lique seemed unaware of this, reaching out to touch her neck. Her fingertips touched the exposed wound, causing her to wince in pain.
Sheng Fei stared intently at her, his dark eyes gleaming with a deep light, like a hunter pursuing its prey, engaging in a final probing test: "Tell me, why did Nangong Sui risk killing you back then? Was it just a show for me?"
"You said Nangong Sui was ruthless, but now you're asking her why she killed me. Third Young Master, if you don't have the guts to apologize to me, then please stop putting on airs in front of me in the future, otherwise I'll only despise you even more."
Zhong Lique's expression was cold and her tone stern, as if she had reached her limit and decided to no longer tolerate the man's unreasonable behavior.
Sheng Fei, however, was not afraid of her rebuke and warning at all. Instead, he sneered, "Even now, you are still speaking up for Nangong Sui. Zhong Li Que, you might as well hide your little thoughts better, lest no one but me see through them."
“Absurd,” Zhong Lique retorted coldly.
"Nangong Sui hurt you and harmed you, have you ever said a single bad word about her?" Sheng Fei became aggressive, "You were on the verge of death in Nangong Sui's hands, yet you showed not a trace of doubt or fear, you..."
“I told you not to come over because I bet Nangong Sui wouldn’t dare kill me,” Zhong Lique interrupted Sheng Fei’s questioning. “Even if Nangong Sui made a move, I have the protective charms left by my father and my master. If you rush over rashly, you might very well die at Nangong Sui’s hands.”
“If Zou Yuan wants to arrest me, he won’t just stand by and watch me die at Nangong Sui’s hands. In any case, I don’t need to be afraid that Nangong Sui will kill me.”
Zhong Lique stepped forward and stood in front of Sheng Fei, who was sitting in a chair, looking down at him.
Perhaps it was because the girl's assertive attitude was so unusual that Sheng Fei was stunned on the spot, forgetting to refute, and watched helplessly as Zhong Li Que leaned down and got closer to him.
Those dark, cold eyes were like gleaming scimitars, reflecting directly into Sheng Fei's pupils.
Zhong Lique leaned closer to him and whispered, "You are more hateful than Nangong Sui, so I won't speak ill of her; you are not as strong as Nangong Sui, so I'm not afraid to say anything to you."
These words were like a bucket of cold water poured over Sheng Fei, immediately waking him up.
The Zhongli Que before him seemed to overlap with the girl who first revealed her true self in Taiyi, bringing Sheng Fei an inescapable gloom.
He was struck by the sharp thorns released by the girl for the first time. Unable to bear it any longer, he attacked in a rage, raising his hand to grab the slender neck that was inches away from his.
"Oh dear! Did I come at the wrong time?" Mu Mengbai exclaimed as he reached the door, covering his face with his hands and turning to leave. But as soon as he stepped down the stairs, he exclaimed again, "Wait a minute! Young Master, are you hitting her?!"
Mu Mengbai thought he had stumbled upon a romantic encounter, but after a moment's reflection, he realized it was more like a murder scene. He stared wide-eyed at Sheng Fei, who was gripping Zhong Lique's neck.
“We are now trapped in the enemy’s headquarters, so let’s not fight amongst ourselves!” Mu Mengbai stepped forward and advised.
Sheng Fei, his face grim, shoved Zhong Li Que aside. Mu Mengbai rushed forward and helped her up: "Are you alright, Miss Zhong Li?"
Goodness, his face is all red from being pinched.
Mu Mengbai glanced at Sheng Fei with a reproachful look.
“Who’s on our side?” Sheng Fei said with disgust.
His fingers gripped the chair armrests tightly, causing the sturdy bench to crack softly. Zhong Lique pushed Mu Mengbai away and stubbornly looked at Sheng Fei, saying, "Third Young Master, apologize to me."
Sheng Fei raised his head to look back, his eyes full of provocation: "You're dreaming."
Zhong Lique said disdainfully, "Sheng Fei, you are a liar."
"So what?" Sheng Fei didn't care at all.
Zhong Lique ignored him and turned to walk upstairs. "Stop! I told you you're not allowed to leave!" Before Sheng Fei could finish speaking, he had already disappeared into the stairwell.
Mu Mengbai looked at him, and Sheng Fei said expressionlessly, "You are not allowed to go."
"Miss Zhongli, wait!" Mu Mengbai went after Zhongli Que.
Sheng Xun: "..."
He was so angry that he coughed, clutching his chest.
Mu Mengbai had a serious matter to attend to. He used his wind manipulation technique to block Zhongli Que's path and whispered, "I came from the Yan Kingdom and met your brother, Zhongli Shan. We studied together at Taiyi and got along quite well. He was very worried when he learned that you were going to Nanjing, so he asked me to bring you a protective talisman."
He took something out of the box and handed it over.
The black pendant in front of me looks like an ordinary wood carving, but it resembles a myriad of Buddha runes and carries a sense of killing intent.
"When I was traveling over there, I accidentally wandered into some strange places. Luckily, your brother came to my rescue, otherwise I wouldn't be here alive." Mu Mengbai sighed repeatedly, gesturing with his hands to show goodwill.
Zhong Lique stared at the black pendant for a long time before reaching out to take it: "Thank you."
This protective talisman wasn't given to her by her brother.
"Are my brothers alright in the six prefectures of Yan?" Zhongli Que asked in a low voice.
"It's alright! I don't know much about warfare." Mu Mengbai spread his hands apologetically, then reassured him, "But with your Qingyang's Great General here, whose military prowess is unmatched, we'll definitely be able to turn danger into safety."
Zhong Lique thanked him again.
"I apologize to you on Sheng Fei's behalf," Mu Mengbai added. "He's just prone to being sarcastic and has a short temper. Sometimes it's best to just let his words go in one ear and out the other. The less you talk to the young master, the longer you'll live."
Zhong Lique looked up at the man in front of her. His smile was bright and sunny, with no aggression. He was always easygoing and made good friends easily. No one, whether friend or foe, would make things too difficult for him.
Because of Mu Mengbai's terrible physical skills, people overlooked his extraordinary qualities.
Or rather, his ability was to make everyone ignore his existence.
Zhong Lique watched Mu Mengbai walk downstairs.
"Young Master Mu."
The girl called out to the people coming downstairs.
"Huh?" Mu Mengbai turned around, bewildered. "What's wrong?"
He rubbed his hands together, looking a little awkward.
"I'd like to ask you a question." Zhong Lique stood in the aisle, the sun blazing behind him.
"Me?" Mu Mengbai pointed to himself. "What's the problem? Miss Zhongli, please tell me, and I will answer to the best of my knowledge."
He hummed twice, raising his eyebrows in a pretentious manner.
“My master is Qin Shan of Qingyang, a sage of the Fangji school. His lifelong wish was to be able to identify the five world destroyers and dispel the prophecy of the world being destroyed by the strange fire. I have heard that Young Master Mu is also a Fangji practitioner. I would like to ask you if you have ever used the divine wood to divine the prophecy of the world being destroyed by the strange fire.”
The girl's dark eyebrows and eyes were obedient and respectful, as if she were facing not a young man a few years older than her, but a highly respected elder.
Golden sunlight streamed into the corridor, making the long steps shimmer and glitter. Mu Mengbai stood in the sunlight, a smile playing on his lips, and laughed loudly, "Heavens! Miss Zhongli, you're divining that the strange fire will destroy the world? That's playing with fire and getting burned! I won't do something that harms others and myself."
Zhong Lique looked up blankly, not even noticing when Mu Mengbai had left.
After Mu Mengbai went downstairs, he went to find Sheng Fei.
He smiled and waved to Sheng Fei, then sat down next to the expressionless man, patting his chest and saying, "Miss Zhongli has already apologized and settled things for you. Her brother is my savior now. If you two fight, I'll definitely side with her, not you."
Is this human language?
Sheng Fei angrily shouted, "Get out of here!"
"Ouch!" Mu Mengbai was about to give him a lecture when Sheng Fei had already scolded him: "Zhongli Shan is your savior? What a joke! Aren't I the same? Haven't I saved you enough in Taiyi?"
"You didn't even ask me why Zhongli Shan saved me!" Mu Mengbai was dumbfounded; this wasn't what he expected.
Sheng Fei asked coldly, "Why?"
“Because of the sorcerers of the six states of Yan!” Mu Mengbai stood up and said solemnly, “Before I went to the six states, I heard that acid rain fell from the sky, rotten soil flowed on the ground, and everyone was covered in poisonous spots and was so thin that they were unrecognizable. But they could grow by refining the five elements.”
"They said that because there was no purification from the Breath of Earth, that land was like a living hell. I went there to explore out of curiosity, and guess what happened?"
"That kid over there is fatter than me!"
Mu Mengbai exaggeratedly raised his hand to gesture: "They are as white and plump as porcelain dolls, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters. There is no miasma in the mountains, the river water is crystal clear, and there are sweet mountain springs. Wow, the people of the Six States tribes are all strong and healthy. Even a ten-year-old girl can knock me down with one punch. Moreover, their light cores cannot be distinguished by realm. There is only a distinction between the Five Elements Light Core and the Divine Soul Light Core."
Sheng Fei frowned as he listened, his eyes filled with suspicion.
This was completely different from the six states of Yan that he had heard about.
If the situation in the six states of Yan is really as Mu Mengbai described, why doesn't Father know about it? Why doesn't Qingyang know either?
Why did the Zhongli clan, who lived in one of the six states of Yan, not report back?
"After I got lost in the Six Provinces, I was captured by the Dishan tribe. They thought I was a spy sent by the Yan Kingdom and wanted to burn me alive. On the way back, I happened to run into Zhonglishan leading a team to raid the Dishan tribe. I shouted for him at the top of my lungs. Fortunately, Zhonglishan had excellent hearing and heard me. Otherwise, I would have been burned to ashes that night."
"If the six states are really as you say, why haven't I received any news at all?" Sheng Fei was skeptical of Mu Mengbai's words.
"Guess how I got out? I was driven out of the mountain by your general and hundreds of elite Azure Dragon Army soldiers through the water formation!" Mu Mengbai sighed. "I was sent by the general to deliver a message to you. Their messages couldn't get out at all before. The six prefectures were completely sealed off by water formations all over the mountains. You could get in, but you couldn't get out."
“I was supposed to go to Qingyang for quite a while, but I found out you were in Nanjing, so I changed my route and came to Nanjing to tell you the news sooner. Who knew you would run into trouble in Nanjing as well?”
Mu Mengbai's mouth was dry from talking, so he got up to pour himself some tea.
Before Sheng Fei could finish processing the information from his previous statement, Mu Mengbai remembered something else and turned back to look at him mysteriously, saying, "I almost forgot, there's another strange thing. People from the Six States say that many of them have the same dream."
"A dream?" Sheng Fei repeated subconsciously, "What dream?"
“No one said what they dreamed about specifically, which is why it’s strange.” Mu Mengbai took a sip of cool tea to moisten his throat and walked back to Sheng Fei’s side. He pointed upwards with his other hand and said mysteriously, “But don’t you think it looks a lot like the dream of the world being destroyed by the strange fire?”
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