Chapter 747 Rong Zhen's Defense Deployment Revealed
On stage, Rong Zhen surprisingly showed a faint smile.
Ouyang Rong turned around with a puzzled expression:
"What Lady Rong says is quite interesting. One moment it's far, the next it's near, but aren't they the same thing? However, upon closer examination, there is indeed a hint of dialectics in it. By the way, Lady Rong, have you been reading any books lately? Are they Taoist or Buddhist?"
Rongzhen continued to stare directly at him.
Just then, Yi Qianqiu, Granny Song, Duan Quanwu, and the others, who had been tacitly stopping on the steps, continued to move forward in unison, arriving in front of the two on the stage and temporarily breaking their eye contact.
"Apart from General Wei, who is in charge of the White Mist Formation, is everyone else here?"
Rong Zhen turned around to face them and asked a question, then asked Yi Qianqiu:
"Where is Mr. Yu? Has he left the bamboo house?"
"Hmm." Yi Qianqiu nodded and replied, "We're already on the mountain road. The old man has some difficulty walking, so it will probably be a while before we reach the reserved spot at the top of the mountain."
"good."
Ouyang Rong, who was standing nearby, saw Rong Zhen nod emphatically upon hearing this. She also glanced back at the cliff behind the Buddha, her small face turned towards that direction.
Following Rong Zhen's gaze, Ouyang Rong discovered that the Twin Peaks were the highest point of the North Peak.
Yi Qianqiu's expression seemed somewhat hesitant.
Upon seeing this, Rong Zhen asked directly:
"What's up?"
Yi Qianqiu frowned slightly:
"Old Mr. Yu left home very casually. Before I arrived, he was still cooking a special meal in the kitchen. When I asked him to come out of the bamboo house, he insisted on bringing out a simple bamboo one-stringed zither..."
Rong Zhen said decisively, "Don't worry, Mr. Yu won't be presumptuous. One string zither it is. Since he promised to do it today, he will do it. I trust Mr. Yu."
After comforting her, she gave her further instructions:
"General Yi, you must send someone to protect Mr. Yu."
Before Yi Qianqiu could answer, Granny Song waved her hand and said, "Don't worry, I'm keeping an eye on things."
This old woman with the disdainful eyes was short, almost as tall as Rongzhen, and skin and bones. Especially when standing at the foot of the Buddha, compared to the Donglin Buddha behind her, she looked like a withered bamboo pole in a bamboo forest at the foot of a mountain. Yet, the words she spoke were casual and understated:
"It's just a high cliff; I can reach Mr. Yu within ten breaths."
Rong Zhen said earnestly, "Then I'll have to trouble Senior Song."
Granny Song waved her hand.
Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at Granny Song. Perhaps because he had seen her so often, and given her recent low-key vegetarianism and Buddhist chanting, he had almost forgotten that she was a genuine high-grade Qi cultivator, the deputy director of the Luoyang Astronomical Bureau, and in a sense, the ballast stone that the court placed in Xunyang Grottoes. Although she had a terrible temper, aside from being extremely loyal to the emperor, the fact that she had managed to rise to her current position in the palace proved that she was indeed qualified to have a bad temper.
Rongzhen looked around at everyone:
"Alright, Governor Ouyang has also arrived. Apart from Lady Miaozhen and General Li at Shuangfengjian Ferry, everyone who is supposed to be here today is here. Let's begin."
"I have a few new updates to share with everyone, although we expected them."
Granny Song, Yi Qianqiu, and the others listened attentively.
Rongzhen told everyone about the river pirates and the news that Ouyang Rong had just heard from Zhao Qingxiu.
Of course, with everyone present, she didn't directly mention Zhao Qingxiu, but instead referred to her as an informant.
Ouyang Rong glanced at her.
"Three-legged strange bird?"
Duan Quanwu, clad in snow-white armor, looked up at the sky along with the others and let out a cold laugh:
"That Snow Candle is a high-grade Qi Refiner. It can fly here if it wants. If this three-legged bird dares to approach the Buddha at low altitude, I will shoot it down with an arrow. The White Tiger Guard has no shortage of nine-stone bows. If we fire them all at once, we will hit the target."
Granny Song also said coldly:
"Give the candle in the snow to this old woman."
Rongzhen nodded gently and gave him detailed instructions:
"Alright, the Snow Candle is the key. It has always been said in the Jianghu of Tiannan that wherever the three-legged monster bird appears, there will definitely be a Snow Candle. If the bird appears, she will probably come together."
"Senior Song, try to keep her away from the white mist over the river. It would be best to do what we did last time at Xingzi Lake: place the battlefield in the air or in the nearby mountains and forests to prevent her from using any strange tricks or the aftershocks of her supernatural powers to disrupt our white mist formation. Otherwise, Yunmeng Ling will be difficult to defend against."
"Our main defensive focus this time is the two great formations: the Buddha statue and the white mist. As long as they arrive at Xunyang Grottoes, the timing and location will be on our side."
Granny Song narrowed her eyes and agreed.
"It's not difficult. We've already clashed with them last time and tested them out."
"However, this golden-haired girl is quite skilled. I heard that she only entered the upper-grade Purple Qi realm a few years ago. Hmph, although she has only been cultivating for a few years, her fighting prowess is not small. The sword cultivators of the Southern Yue Nu Dao lineage are indeed terrifying in killing power. I had heard of them in the north before."
"But I am not to be trifled with either. Her sword is indeed formidable, but the cultivation of purple qi is a skill that takes time to develop. She is still relatively inexperienced, having just entered the upper grade, and her dantian has less purple qi than mine."
After a moment's hesitation, Granny Song suppressed her sinister smile, her expression turning slightly serious, and softly added:
"When I fight her, it is destined that she can only make use of the killing power advantage of sword cultivators and maximize this advantage in the first few swords in order to win quickly in the early stage. That is, the three-move-on style of fighting... So, as long as we don't let her snowball after the first sword."
Yi Qianqiu frowned and asked, "Senior Song is indeed more experienced and has a clear mind, but we must be careful that she may have Qi-replenishing pills or other external assistance."
Granny Song scoffed:
"Even if she has Qi-replenishing pills, it's useless. I also have some, the best quality sent from the palace, called Mo Jiao. The advantage is offset. If she doesn't have them, or is inferior, then it's even more of a lose-lose situation."
As she spoke, Granny Song reached into her bosom and pulled out a sandalwood pill box, weighing it in her hand.
Granny Song didn't open it; she showed it briefly and then casually put it away.
Ouyang Rong, who had been listening quietly to the side, immediately pictured the emerald green appearance of the pill after hearing the words "Ink Dragon" and glancing at the pill box.
Isn't this the same pill he used to kill someone? It tastes a bit bitter, but it's really potent. He was furious when he killed him back then.
When Ouyang Rong heard Boss Li say that this pill was one of the best Qi-replenishing pills that the Taoist sect could refine at the moment, it was suitable for the dantian of a high-grade Qi cultivator. Unless one is like Ouyang Rong, who is a sword-wielding Daoist, he needs to accumulate power to use the Dingjian Divine Power and consume a large amount of overflowing spiritual energy to prevent the spiritual energy from bursting the dantian.
Ouyang Rong silently glanced at the old woman and the pills a few more times. His action was inconspicuous, because Rong Zhen, Yi Qianqiu, and Duan Quanwu also turned their gazes toward them.
Both Yi and Duan looked on with envy.
The latter asked directly:
"Senior Song, was this pill a tribute to the palace from His Highness Prince Wei? I've heard that only three were kept in the Prince Wei's residence, so this must be one of them."
"Yes, it should be."
Granny Song faced north, respectfully clasped her hands, and spoke each word carefully:
"However, these are all the great favors of the sage. Let us unite as one and fight the enemy with all our might."
"This is natural, God's grace is boundless."
Everyone nodded, bowed and kowtowed to the north in gratitude, and swore allegiance. Ouyang Rong also clasped his hands in a fist salute along with them.
The reason Ouyang Rong found it so annoying to be with Granny Song was precisely this: whether it was wearing Buddhist prayer beads or bowing in gratitude to the north, it was all just a bunch of tedious formalities. Even when facing a formidable enemy and discussing important matters, they still had to routinely flatter her. This old woman with the disdainful eyes loved to get involved, and everyone had no choice but to follow along...
Ouyang Rong withdrew his gaze from Song Mama's arms, pursed his lips, and saw Rong Zhen looking at him.
In front of Yi Qianqiu, Granny Song, and the others, Rong Zhen put on a stern face and spoke in a cold, aloof tone:
“Governor Ouyang, you’ve only just arrived today, so it would be best if I told you about the defenses here.”
"Very well, please allow me, Lady Rong and gentlemen, to speak. I am not very knowledgeable, but I will see if I can fill in any gaps in my knowledge."
"Okay, you give us some advice."
Rongzhen didn't waste any words and directly revealed:
"I told you about the White Mist Formation before, so I won't go into its uses."
Ouyang Rong nodded: "Yes, I guessed it. It's to counter the Yunmeng Order."
Rong Zhen didn't go into details about the Blood Bronze, but nodded:
"That's right. With the white mist around, the Yunmeng Token is ineffective within the Shuangfengjian area. Right now, Shuangfengjian is heavily guarded by our troops. Yunmeng Jianze has issued hundreds of Yunmeng Tokens to Tiannan Jianghu in an attempt to contact Jianghu people and cause trouble."
"Now that the white mist is here, it restrains the Cloud Dream Token. At least these people who bring the Cloud Dream Token will have to think twice about whether the token can protect them."
"Moreover, you have already issued a decree restricting women from crossing the border and issued arrest warrants for those who privately possess the Yunmeng Token in all the states of Jiangnan. Now, the people of Jiangnan should all know that privately possessing this item is a capital offense, punishable by the execution of the entire family."
"Heh, let's see who else dares to risk having their home ransacked by using an expired Yunmeng Token to attack the imperial palace."
Ouyang Rong nodded:
"This is a good move. Divide and conquer. As it stands, the only ones who dare to attack the Buddha are those river pirates. They dared to counterattack Hukou County and seize boats to go south, so they must be fearless. The Yunmeng Tokens that these river pirates carry are now ineffective, which weakens them."
"Not only that, there's also that Peach Blossom Spring painting."
It was Yi Qianqiu who spoke softly, adding a sentence.
Ouyang Rong feigned doubt and asked, "The Peach Blossom Spring painting?"
Yi Qianqiu glanced at Rong Zhen's expression, which showed no sign of stopping him, and said:
"The Peach Blossom Spring Map in the hands of rebels like Li Zhengyan is related to the Yunmeng Order, and the White Mist can also counter this item."
"I see. So this item serves the same purpose as the Yunmeng Token?"
Yi Qianqiu succinctly stated: "It's almost certainly true."
Ouyang Rong glanced at the extraordinary woman from the Yuan family, then surveyed the scene around him and asked:
"Is this white mist formation appropriate? I hope nothing goes wrong."
This time it was Granny Song who spoke, her tone somewhat proud:
"This is a grand formation jointly set up by the Imperial Observatory and the Xuanwu Guard. They invited two of the most experienced Yin-Yang formation masters from the Imperial Observatory. The location of the formation's core, where General Wei and the others are currently, is very well hidden. Apart from Rong'er and myself, no one knows it."
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow slightly and continued calmly:
"Alright, with this white mist array in place, we have a way to deal with the Cloud Dream Token and the Peach Blossom Spring Map."
"As for the candle in the snow, it will be handled by Vice Supervisor Song."
"Regarding those river pirates from Hukou County, General Li and Lady Rong and I have already arranged for them to lead armored soldiers to ambush and prepare defenses at the ferry crossing on the opposite bank. We can deal with them as they come, so there's no rush for now..."
Ouyang Rong seemed to be deep in thought, stroked his chin, and suggested:
"Aside from these, what about the other Yue women of Yunmeng Sword Marsh, such as the Second Lady Jun Yu Nianyuan, or... or Yue Chuzi, and other masters of the Tiannan Jianghu?"
"Well, although Shuangfengjian is heavily guarded now, we have a lot of people, and the whole city is under martial law, so some nobodies can't get close and can't use numbers to break through our formation. The Yunmeng Token, which we've been keeping a close watch on, is also ineffective. Now, there should be very few of these martial arts figures who would dare to risk their lives to come here. At most, there are some experts. There should be very few who can break through the outer encirclement and come with Yu Nianyuan and the Yue women..."
"We have taken precautions against these escapees, but there is also a risk if they accidentally get close to our Buddha statue."
Yi Qianqiu, his face covered by white armor, stepped forward with a stern expression:
"Give these scraps to me. We can't let General Wei's Xuanwu Guard steal the spotlight today. I will lead a thousand White Tiger Guards to protect the main grotto."
She raised her long face, her expression defiant, and said in a low, hoarse voice:
"The Xuanwu Guard has water formations to set up, and our White Tiger Guard is not to be outdone. I love hunting down so-called mountain people the most, hehe."
Ouyang Rong carefully observed Yi Qianqiu, who was rubbing his hands together in anticipation. After a moment, Rong Zhen, who was standing beside him, asked softly:
"Is there anything else that Governor Ouyang could add?"
Ouyang Rong shifted his gaze and pondered for a moment:
"What if there are hidden talents in the Tiannan Jianghu, and Xue Zhongzhu is not the only high-level Qi cultivator?"
Rong Zhen simply nodded calmly:
"Yes, that's why the imperial court kept Elder Yu here until today, to oversee the Great Buddha."
Ouyang Rong's gaze sharpened slightly. He stood silently, his expression grave. After a moment, he nodded and sighed softly.
"Understood. You've put a lot of thought into this arrangement. I have no problem with it."
Rongzhen suddenly spoke:
“Ouyang Lianghan, there’s one more link, you didn’t ask about it.”
Following her lead, Ouyang Rong casually asked, "Which ring?"
The girl in dazzling purple palace attire spoke each word with force and conviction:
“Master of Butterfly Love Flower, Ouyang Lianghan, how do you know he won’t come?”
The air was silent for a moment.
Ouyang Rong and Rong Zhen looked at each other, while Ouyang Rong kept making small movements, turning the Buddhist beads under his sleeve.
He kept his gaze fixed, smiled slightly, and said:
"I haven't forgotten, I've already included them in that small group of martial arts masters from the southern region who might accompany Xue Zhongzhu and Yu Nianyuan."
Rong Zhen gazed at Ouyang Rong's face for a moment, then calmly shook her head:
"No, this person must be singled out and dealt with separately."
Ouyang Rong flicked his sleeve, his voice resounding:
“But I’ve heard that such a swordsman is as thin as paper when he gets close. As long as we don’t let this little thief sneak into the main cave and safely set up his sword, we’ll be fine. The main cave has a wide field of vision, and General Yi is guarding it with more than a thousand White Tiger Guards. We also have the experience from last time, and we’ve already set up a series of hidden sentries. There won’t be a similar mistake like ‘hiding the Buddha’s head with a sword’ again. How can he get close enough to set up his sword?”
Except for Rongzhen, everyone nodded in approval.
Rongzhen shook her head, insisting:
"No, my opinion is different from yours. I think that the danger of this Butterfly Love Flower Master is greater than that of the Cloud Dream Order and the Peach Blossom Spring Map, and even no less than that of the Snow Candle."
She took a deep breath and said:
"Don't forget, last time in Xingzifang, it was he who made his move at the last moment, a thunderous strike that destroyed the Buddha statue and killed Lin Cheng and the others. This is not a coincidence; it was because we didn't take it seriously enough that time."
(End of this chapter)
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