◇ 【134】 Calculation
The magnificent hall contained eight side halls, namely Mei Gan, Lan Kan, Zhu Gen, Ju Zhen, Song Xun, Liu Li, He Kun, and Yang Dui, all decorated with carved beams and painted buildings, and with soaring eaves and pointed corners. Zhu Mian was currently in Mei Gan, sitting expressionless in the main seat. Even with shadowless lights hanging from the four corners, his face remained enigmatic against the backdrop of the black rock screen behind him. He held a cup of tea in his hand, but he didn't drink it, lost in thought.
Two beautiful female attendants stood on the left and right of the main seat, with cautious expressions and not daring to make a sound.
Beside the main seat stood a man in his early twenties with an evil face and two dark circles under his eyes, looking as if he had indulged in excessive sexual activities. Although he did not speak, he looked relaxed and was obviously not afraid of the elder sitting in the main seat. The folding fan in his hand kept silently tapping the palm of his other hand, exuding a frivolous air.
A young man with clear eyebrows and bright eyes hurried in from outside and said with a bow, "Master."
Zhu Mian raised his eyes, "How?"
The man said, "Disciple has sent people to closely monitor Chengfeng and Polang. They are currently in the back mountain, seemingly enjoying the scenery. Furthermore, disciple has discovered that it's not just us from the Mengshan Sect who are monitoring them."
The man next to the main seat looked indifferent and said nonchalantly, "What's so strange about this? Who doesn't know that Chengfeng Polang has two treasures in his hands? If there were no one else watching them besides us, we would be worried."
After hearing his words, Zhu Mian's eyes lit up with satisfaction. Zhu Jun was his only son and his favorite offspring. His cultivation was well worth it for him to be so perceptive.
Zhu Jun asked the man at the bottom of the stairs again, "Han'er, have you found anything else?"
Zhu Han shook his head and said, "Not yet."
After a brief pause, he frowned slightly and said to Zhu Mian, "Master, it seems that the other sects are waiting and watching. No one dares to make the first move, fearing that they will be attacked later. But continuing to stalemate like this is not a solution. Chengfeng and Polang are highly skilled. Now that they are in the formation, it is a good time to take action. Once they leave, the sky is high and they can fly freely. It may not be so easy to control them."
Zhu Mian nodded in agreement. Zhu Han had always been intelligent and was his favorite disciple, so his words did not disappoint him.
A sharp light flashed in Zhu Jun's eyes. Zhu Jun smiled slightly and looked at Zhu Han. "It sounds like Senior Brother has a good idea?"
Zhu Mian also looked at Zhu Han.
Zhu Han pondered for a moment, then met their gazes calmly. "Only by stirring up trouble can we seize the opportunity. Master, I do have an idea, but I still need your guidance as to whether it's feasible."
Zhu Mian said: "Tell me about it."
Zhu Han said confidently, "Yao Qingxue's death also has something to do with us. Now, Yao Qingyu has succeeded as the head of the sect. She is Yao Qingxue's biological sister and was raised by Yao Qingxue. She has deep feelings for Yao Qingxue and will definitely take revenge on us. Since our two sects will become enemies sooner or later, we might as well go all out and find a way to have the Xiaoyao Sect take action against Chengfeng and Polang first. As soon as Yao Qingyu makes a move, Huang Mingde, as the murderer who killed Yao Qingxue, will inevitably take preemptive action to prevent Yao Qingyu's revenge in the future. Then we will have our opportunity."
Zhu Mian's face was full of praise. "Great! It's a good idea, Han'er. In that case, I'll leave this matter to you. If you do a good job, I will reward you with the exquisite stone."
Zhu Jun's expression changed slightly.
Zhu Han was overjoyed, "Thank you, Master! I'll do it right away!"
"Well, go ahead." Zhu Mian nodded to him with satisfaction.
After Zhu Han left, Zhu Jun said dissatisfiedly, "Dad, the spiritual energy contained in the exquisite stone is enough for one person to use for a year. I have been eyeing it for a long time. Why did you give it to him? You treat him, an outsider, better than me, your own son!"
The two women at the bottom of the stairs turned pale instantly and knelt on the ground at the same time, knowing that if they heard any secrets, they would surely die!
Zhu Mian frowned slightly, glanced at them, and said calmly, "Go down."
"yes!"
The two women left quickly, leaving only Zhu Mian and Zhu Jun in the hall.
Zhu Mian looked at his son's depressed and jealous look, feeling both helpless and amused.
"You also said that you are my biological son. Don't you really understand why I do this?"
Zhu Jun snorted softly and waved his folding fan irritably, "I don't understand."
"Fool." Zhu Mian stood up and paced leisurely in the hall. "In terms of talent, you and Han'er are on par; but in terms of character... hehe, Jun'er, you are far inferior to Han'er. Do you admit this?"
Zhu Jun's face darkened, but he nodded slowly.
"Dad, what you mean is..."
"Han'er is calmer than you, so his advancements are almost guaranteed, and his cultivation is two levels higher than yours. And your father will ascend one day, so how long can he protect you? All these tactics are ultimately aimed at winning him over. Do you understand now?"
Zhu Jun's expression softened slightly. "Well, I remember you said Zhu Han was adopted the year I was born, when Senior Brother was six. You've also said before that you adopted Senior Brother to look after me. But the path of seeking the Dao is filled with temptations. Do you truly believe his filial piety and love for you can rival his pursuit of the Dao?" Zhu Jun's face was filled with disapproval. Now in his sixties, he had witnessed the fierce competition within the Mengshan Sect, not to mention the entire cultivation world. Just like the heirs of the feudal royal family, how many could resist the yearning for the throne?
"Hehehe..." Zhu Mian laughed again, his smile strange and his eyes gloomy. "Do you still remember what your father told you about Han'er being seriously ill when you first met him?"
Zhu Jun nodded, not understanding why.
Zhu Mian returned to the main seat, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "The reason why father chose him is, firstly, because his talent is suitable for cultivation, and secondly, because of his illness. He suffers from a bone disease. While treating him, father also unnoticeably implanted a loyalty talisman into his dantian. That talisman was implanted using a special technique, and no one in the entire cultivation world can remove it except father. It would be fine if he didn't have any thoughts, but if he had any other thoughts..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhu Jun burst into laughter, bowed to Zhu Mian, and said admiringly: "Father is still wise!"
…
On the other side, Gu Juan and Xi Lang were coming down from the mountain, unaware that someone was plotting against them and that they were part of the conspiracy.
"The scenery in this formation is indeed stunning at first sight, but upon closer inspection, it seems nothing special." Gu Juan said to Xi Lang with emotion as he walked down the stairs.
Xi Lang put his arm around his waist and jokingly said, "If 'inside' is a beautiful fairyland, then this is just the scenery of small bridges and flowing water. It's like being used to eating bird's nest and shark's fin, how can you still look down on plain porridge and side dishes?"
"That's true." Gu Juan couldn't help but laugh when he thought about it.
In the distance, near the mountains, a vast wellhead gushed forth a vast stream of spiritual energy, like a white mist, rising from the ground. Before it reached more than two meters, it was absorbed by the hundreds of people gathered around it. That was the spiritual source Shang Liuyun had mentioned.
"Juanbao, do you want to go and take a look?" Xi Lang asked.
Gu Juan took a quick look and said, "There's nothing interesting to see. Let's go see what we can exchange today."
Xi Lang naturally responded.
After a while, the two returned to the square. At this time, there were many more people in the square, and it was much more lively than before. Almost every stall was surrounded by people, bargaining.
Looking around, the two discovered that almost all the cultivators were bartering, and the items they exchanged were mostly common spiritual materials, elixirs, or treasures. Even the common currency, spirit stones, were extremely rare. Even so, there were still people arguing fiercely over a bottle of low-grade Qingxin Pills.
Gu Juan was quite shocked. Could it be that the cultivation resources on Earth were really so scarce?
"Ride the wind, break the waves!" Shang Liuyun trotted over briskly and asked in surprise, "What's wrong? You two have such expressions?"
Gu Juan made an excuse, "It's like this, we originally wanted to find some top-grade Qingxin Pills, but after looking around, we found nothing."
Now, it was Shang Liuyun who looked at them with shock, as if he wanted to laugh but couldn't. "Top-grade Qingxin Pill? Not to mention a top-grade Qingxin Pill, you can't even find a top-grade Qingxin Pill."
Gu Juan subconsciously asked, "Why?"
Shang Liuyun shrugged, his seemingly indifferent expression betraying a touch of sadness and helplessness. "It's simple, a lack of refining materials. The Demon Sect is the best at alchemy among all the sects, and their ancestors have passed down many recipes. But as spiritual materials on Earth become increasingly scarce, alchemists have fewer opportunities to practice, and their achievements in alchemy are declining, resulting in fewer and fewer elixirs on the market. Being able to exchange for a mid-grade Qingxin Pill is enough to make me smile secretly."
Gu Juan and Xi Lang looked at each other.
Gu Juan felt inexplicably heavy-hearted. Suddenly, his hand was held by a broad hand. He raised his head and met a pair of eyes filled with concern and worry.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
"I'm fine." Gu Juan shook Xi Lang's hand. With outsiders around, it wasn't the time to speak his mind. He turned to Shang Liuyun and said, "We're not familiar with this place. Could you show us around?"
"No problem, I have nothing to do anyway." Shang Liuyun said excitedly, "Let's go to the treasure area first."
Shang Liuyun was a chatterbox, talking nonstop. From him, Gu Juan finally gained a more detailed understanding of the current state of the cultivation world. The situation of cultivators in the current world of cultivation was indeed dire. The scarcity of various cultivation resources directly led to a shortage of higher-quality elixirs and spiritual tools. Consequently, cultivators' advancement was extremely difficult, leading to even more fierce competition. Because if one wasn't strong enough, one wouldn't be able to obtain the resources they desired.
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