Chapter 1237: Waiting for a Rabbit to Fall into the Trap—Who is the Rabbit? (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
If it's just a normal clash, there's not much of a problem.
Taking water's ability to extinguish fire as an example, no matter how hard a drop of water tries, it can't extinguish a large bonfire. The difference in their sizes is too great, and the destructive power produced by their mutual restraint is negligible. Gong Shuwu's fear of Tan Ting, and Tan Ting's ability to make Luo Yuan suffer, both had crucial preconditions!
This mutual restraint occurs within the Danfu!
A single spark can start a prairie fire!
The Danfu (or Dantian) is the source of a martial artist's entire cultivation; it is the most confidential and precisely core location. Even the slightest mishap here can disrupt the Danfu's operation. In a duel between masters, a small mistake can be fatal!
Gong Shuwu sighed, "You really can't judge a book by its cover."
Judging by Tan Ting's appearance alone, one would never imagine that this person is so lethal, let alone that his methods are so terrifying. As a special being who is neither alive nor dead, if life were to emerge within Gong Shuwu's body, even if it were just a tiny flame, it would be no different from having one's soul roasted on a fire; the pain of that is terrifying just to imagine.
Gong Xichou didn't take it seriously.
His situation was more unique, and Tan Ting couldn't control him.
He didn't mince words: "I thought it was some earth-shattering skill. Is this something to hide?"
That's so stingy!
Using the excuse of "family heirlooms" to refuse to pass them on seemed ridiculous to Gong Xi Chou. These heirlooms weren't even created by Tan Ting's ancestors; taking something from the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas and calling it a family heirloom was somewhat shameless. Gong Xi Chou was very displeased.
Gong Shuwu didn't know what had gotten into Gong Xichou. As a martial artist, why was he suddenly curious about the spiritual power of literati? But he knew that Gong Xichou's rash actions would cause trouble: "It's normal for family spiritual power to be passed down. If the circulation of spiritual power is not restricted, any ordinary person can become a literary scholar. Wouldn't that shake the inheritance of aristocratic families?"
Gong Xichou said, "They are rarely seen in the Northwest Continent."
Gong Shuwu was speechless: "Of course, this is rare in the Northwest. The rulers of the various states are either insane or warlike. If they encounter a madman like Zheng Qiao, they won't even have time to escape. The aristocratic families have been defeated by warlords countless times, and each time they are forced to flee, they lose many of their family treasures. Over time, these treasures have been lost to the common people amidst the chaos of war..."
Those left behind in the countryside are like canaries in cages flying into the sky. Although they have to endure wind and rain, and their lives are uncertain, they also gain precious freedom. The lucky ones who survive multiply and thrive, and many years later, their descendants are endless.
Families of all sizes sprang up like mushrooms after rain.
Finally, even those from humble backgrounds like Chu Yao and Qi Shan had the opportunity to embark on the path of cultivation—Chu Yao was nurtured by the small Chu family, while Qi Shan relied on private schools and the Qi family's support, and the two of them also reached their current positions. Such inspirational stories are unseen in other regions.
It's not that they lack talent, but rather that they lack mentors who recognize and appreciate talent.
Among the civil and military officials under Shen Tang, some of the best-born were Kang Shi, Ning Yan, Xie Qi, and the He Xin brothers. In the Northwest region, these people could be considered scions of noble families, but in other places? Heh, they could only be considered nouveau riche with no real background.
Tan Ting's ancestral home is in central mainland China.
It might really be a family heirloom.
Gong Shuwu advised Gong Xichou: "Don't make things difficult for others."
"Could I be a robber?" Gong Xichou couldn't stand his words; they made it sound like he was being unreasonable.
Gong Shuwu remained silent.
Knowing Gongxi Chou's foul temper, he was certain that the other party was capable of robbing and plundering. From back then to now, how many times had Gongxi Chou done things recklessly and arbitrarily, relying on his superior strength? He thought this in his heart, but he couldn't say it out loud.
If Gong Xichou breaks through his defenses, he will be the one who suffers.
"How can bandits be compared to General Gongxi?"
Gong Xichou stood up and dusted off the hem of his clothes: "No matter what kind of family-inherited incantations they are, the Mountain and Sea Holy Land has them all. When the Holy Land opens again, I will go there myself and pack them all up and bring them out!"
Gong Shuwu asked in surprise, "You've never been to the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas?"
Gong Xichou: "What's so good about that place?"
Martial arts practitioners can also enter the Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas, but their cultivation relies more on their own arduous practice; those flashy incantations are sufficient for them. The Sacred Land of Mountains and Seas is far more alluring to martial artists than to scholars and intellectuals. Gong Xi Chou naturally had no interest in entering.
Gong Shuwu: "..."
Gong Xichou paused, then changed course to find his elder brother.
The clan's Gu techniques are no less powerful than any family-inherited incantation techniques!
Lin Feng has a brighter future if he learns the art of Gu poison!
Ji Moqiu was preparing the antidote under the air conditioner, making preparations in advance to ensure that any soldiers infected in the army could take the antidote immediately if they felt unwell, so as to avoid being caught off guard later. His younger brother, unaware of his predicament, followed him around like a shadow.
It seemed like they had no choice but to agree.
Ji Moqiu remained expressionless. His long, strong left hand held the antidote toad firmly to the cutting board, while his steady, nimble right hand, holding a knife, precisely pierced the toad's abdomen, removing a sac the size of a fingernail. The sac contained the toxins he had just extracted.
He casually tossed the toad into the medicine basin beside him.
The plump toad croaked and rolled over, its wound healing at a visible speed, as if its body had been hollowed out. It took it a long time to move a single leg. Ji Moqiu tossed the knife onto the cutting board, plunging it halfway in, and carefully wiped his fingers: "What do you want?"
"Isn't Gu magic capable of cultivating Gu worms with similar abilities?"
"She can, but she can't learn it." This involves the most confidential aspect of the Gongxi clan's Gu techniques. It's not that Ji Moqiu refuses to teach it, but rather that it requires auxiliary divine power, which Lin Feng cannot learn without. Forcing the refining process could even result in being devoured by the Gu worms, a potentially fatal accident. It's hard to believe that Gongxi Chou is unaware of this.
Gong Xichou naturally knew this.
So, he had a bold idea.
"If we could also cultivate divine power, wouldn't that solve the problem?"
Ji Moqiu: "..."
He stared at his younger brother for a long time, then used the back of his hand to feel the temperature of his forehead; it was normal. "You don't have a fever either, so why are you talking nonsense? Divine power isn't something you can just cultivate..."
The selection criteria for the High Priest are based on His Highness's preferences.
Gongxi Chou's words were like a wake-up call.
"If we're talking about preferences, isn't she someone His Highness likes?"
If Lin Feng were sent to the altar for testing, the gods' favor towards her would rank among the highest in the clan's history, making it impossible for her to be rejected. Furthermore, the fact that Lin Feng became the first female scholar besides Mama to be able to cultivate speaks volumes. Considering these two points, Lin Feng is highly likely to be chosen.
Ji Moqiu: "Divine power originates from faith."
Gong Xichou said, "She is also loyal."
Until a more suitable new generation emerges, Lin Feng's compatibility with the High Priest candidate is simply too high. Gong Xi Chou added, "Just by looking at A Dou's appearance, I can tell what A Lai and Xun Yong'an's future children will look like. They have no natural advantage in appearance, and their talents will follow in the footsteps of their damned, dragging-down father..."
The Gongxi clan is facing a generational gap, which is truly a headache.
"She is suitable, but she is a worldly person."
If one is wholeheartedly devoted to serving the gods, one should not be tainted by worldly fame and fortune. Wouldn't such an act ruin someone's future?
Gong Xichou was stunned for a moment: "There's such a rule in the clan?"
How could he not know?
Ji Moqiu countered, "Guess why I haven't entered officialdom? Why have I only served as a guest physician in the medical office all these years? You can't have your cake and eat it too. With the protection of the gods, and still holding a high position of power in the secular world, there will only be one result—abusing divine favor and causing harm to the world."
Human greed is inherently boundless.
Gong Xichou felt that his elder brother's judgment was unfair: "Lin Xiaoma is the new generation that Mama values most, the future leader of all officials. How could she not even be able to control this?"
Ji Moqiu threw a sticky, big toad at him.
He said sternly, "Don't test human nature."
This move will only ruin a promising seedling.
Gong Xichou disdainfully swatted away the antidote toad, no longer disobeying his elder brother. After a long while, Ji Moqiu said, "However, what you said makes some sense. One cannot simultaneously possess power and status as the High Priest, but one can stagger their time..."
He spent the first half of his life as an official and a minister, and the second half serving the temple.
This saved him the trouble of finding an heir.
Gong Xichou: "...Is this okay?"
Ji Moqiu picked up three toad legs and prayed to the gods.
The answer is actually quite obvious.
Ji Moqiu burned the used toad legs. The toad in the medicine basin was displeased and sprayed venom at him, seemingly unhappy that Ji Moqiu had used its offspring for this. Ji Moqiu glanced at it sideways, and the toad was so frightened that it fell down and hid in the medicine.
Having frightened the toad, Ji Moqiu remembered something.
"There are many rare copies of the Word of Power in the old clan territory, many of which are not available outside. I'll find some time to bring them out later; perhaps there's something Lady Lin needs among them." The future High Priest is practically one of us; we can share any good things with her.
Gong Xichou was overjoyed: "Brother, you are my good brother."
He is always there for me, and he is like a father to me!
He's much more reliable than that guy Ji Mo Can.
Ji Moqiu pushed away the large face that was leaning in, annoyed. If he didn't give in, he would shove the antidote toad directly into Gong Xichou's mouth!
The Gongxi clan is now reduced to just a few kittens.
If resources aren't prioritized for the kitten, who will?
Both brothers were hands-off managers. Ji Moqiu had no eyes for anyone but His Highness, while Gong Xichou disliked all activities except fighting, especially long and tedious meetings and official business. Gong Xichou skipped the meeting after noon.
After the meeting, just tell him which number to call.
Some people also secretly told Shen Tang about Gong Xi Chou's whereabouts.
Upon learning that Gong Xi Chou hadn't used force against Tan Ting, but instead turned to torment his elder brother, Shen Tang waved his hand to indicate that he understood. He also subtly warned the seemingly casual but actually informant, urging him to focus more on the enemy; Gong Xi Chou was an ally!
Qin Li always arrives at meetings early.
Upon entering, I saw the lord frowning. Recalling the person I had just encountered, a quick thought revealed the reason. In such a vast royal court, not every official could be impartial and selfless; most were ordinary people with their own selfish desires. To forbid selfishness would be against human nature. But if selfishness were allowed, open and covert struggles would inevitably arise, and thus, informants would emerge.
"Complaining to the Lord again?"
Shen Tang said, "Sigh, there's a lot of resentment in them."
Aside from his tendency to tattle on others, he was also very diligent in his duties. He even personally checked the supplies and provisions of Gong Xichou's army, making up for two omissions. However, his targeting of Gong Xichou was genuine, and Gong Xichou knew it.
I know, but I don't care.
Qin Li said, "After all, it's a blood feud for killing one's father."
Shen Tang: "..."
It's not easy for the lord to make adjustments everywhere.
This is also due to the intricate interpersonal relationships among the Kangguo court officials; if you carefully examine them, you can find connections in various ways.
It's either a feud or a grudge.
Killing one's father, brothers, or even the entire family.
Qi Shan's grudges and grievances with those enemies have faded considerably.
If you look closely, Gongxi Chou had far more enemies than Qi Shan. Leaving aside other matters, Gongxi Chou had already amassed countless enemies during the Battle of Xiaocheng, with at least a few lives owed to him. Afterwards, Gongxi Chou worked as a mercenary for warlords, and many military officers died at his hands. Many of those with indirect connections to these officers entered the service of Kang State, and their numbers were considerable.
Even Shen Tang was on tenterhooks when he saw this.
Gong Xiqiu knew this, but he didn't care.
Anyway, they can't beat me.
That's how you can be so capricious when you have the ability.
As for these people sowing discord, making their achievements threaten the emperor, and using Shen Tang to kill someone else? Gong Xichou didn't care at all. What fame and fortune could be more important than his own life? If one day it really came, he would happily retire from the army and live a carefree life in the mountains.
Other military generals couldn't retire gracefully because they had countless brothers and families relying on them; they couldn't simply leave even if they wanted to. But Gongxi Chou's entire family consisted of his elder brother, sister, brother-in-law, and niece. He was a bachelor, equivalent to a wage slave without a mortgage or car loan; if he had a falling out with his boss, he could simply fire him.
To compromise and appease?
These four characters are not in Gong Xichou's dictionary.
Qin Li said, "That's quite common."
What's this talk of patricide, fratricide, and the extermination of entire families? No matter how many enemies Gongxi Chou had, they couldn't compare to the Lord's. The Lord had slaughtered countless people along his path. If every family pulled out their genealogy and traced it back, they'd find a long and winding road where they all had a grudge against the Lord. You just get used to it.
Shen Tang: "..."
She pretended to have phlegm in her throat and coughed to clear her throat.
In the latter half of the meeting, the attack routes of the allied forces from the southwestern countries were roughly planned, and their troop strength was estimated so as to make targeted arrangements: "Everything else is fine, the only thing that is uncertain is the positions of Luo Yuan and Gongyang Yongye."
If we don't send someone to stop them, the consequences will be unimaginable.
A 19th-rank Marquis within the Pass is a trump card on any battlefield.
Will the two lead the main force together, or will they split into two groups?
Which route will it appear on?
These issues led to lengthy discussions. They also needed to make targeted adjustments based on different situations, while keeping contingency plans in place to deal with unforeseen circumstances. Ultimately, they were not entirely confident.
Everyone could only hope that their lord would make the decision.
Take a gamble?
But Shen Tang is not a gambler.
She was waiting for accurate information.
Fortunately, the news didn't take her long to arrive.
As dusk fell, a bat darted through the forest.
This was the first time Qin Li had ever seen someone use bats to deliver messages. Seeing his lord's brow relax, he knew the news wasn't bad.
Shen Tang said, "Qi State is also cunning. On the surface, they let Luo Yuan and Gongyang Yongye each lead a force to attack together with the other allied forces. But behind the scenes, they let Luo Yuan break away halfway and join Gongyang Yongye, preparing to launch a surprise attack on us."
Two Marquises of the 19th rank within the pass made their moves simultaneously, a truly grand gesture.
Almost no pass could stop them.
Qin Li was still uneasy: "But what about this news?"
Shen Tang let the bat go.
"Don't worry, we're on the same side."
☆⌒(＞。)
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