#1105 - Exclude dissidents

This hand frantically fled through the air, followed by two layers of hazy gray light. Chang Yun only glanced at it and immediately understood.

He came from a high background, and his eyes had been cultivated with special spiritual objects. Furthermore, he possessed extremely high-grade techniques. Even if a Grand Master cast spells and transformations, they still couldn't deceive him!

He recognized Minghui at a glance, so he flicked his sleeve, and a white umbrella slid out, propping itself up in the air.

As soon as the umbrella opened, twelve-colored light burst forth from the umbrella's ribs, colliding with the seemingly weak gray light. With a muffled thud, they smashed together, and three autumn leaves, as large as human heads, fluttered down from the sky, gently swaying.

From these leaves emerged three winds of cyan-gray, dark black, and gray-white, sweeping down from above, causing the earth to tremble. The dark black soil rushed into the sky, creating a massive hurricane from flat ground.

The power of this Dharma wind was immense, and the umbrella immediately emitted creaking sounds as if it couldn't bear the weight. Chang Yun's expression immediately turned solemn. He pinched out a talisman with two fingers, shielding the heavy Yin mist, and raised his other hand, saying in a low voice:

"Minghui!"

Minghui had indeed lost his Dharma body, leaving only an arm. A pair of eyes and a mouth were carved into the palm, and one could still see the fear in his expression as he cried out:

"Real Person, save my senior brother!"

Chang Yun's expression became suspicious, and he said in a low voice:

"Who is coming?"

Minghui, still in shock, only said:

"You ask me, who can I ask? With 'Do Not Investigate Me' upon me, if you say it's not Yang Ruiyi, who else could it be!"

Chang Yun heard that the other party's tone was correct, and his heart lightened. He carefully examined it again, then grasped the white umbrella, joined two fingers together, used a spell, and pointed it at his brow.

He used his divine power and techniques to look into the distance and discovered that this place was already a hazy gray, as if trapped in a Netherworld ghost domain. Countless skeletal ghosts crawled on the ground, intertwined and entangled, accumulating into a towering mountain. In the sky, tens of thousands of owls, eagle owls, and dark crows circled, hazy and indistinct. Only a pale white temple stood on the top of the mountain, appearing to sway precariously.

He originally thought that Yang Ruiyi was using the power of the entire Great Song to attack the north and using Wangyue Lake to hold back Guang Chan in order to launch a solo deep strike and divide the east and west. But until this moment, Yang Ruiyi's main body was still here!

It should be known that both Minghui and Chang Yun had considered in their agreement that Yang Ruiyi would lead people to attack this place, and Minghui's fellow disciples would be defeated like a landslide, and he would provide support to save their lives… rather than holding on until now waiting for reinforcements!

This meant that Li Ximing and Tinglan's all-out efforts had not brought Yang Ruiyi the opportunity to penetrate deep into the north… or even traverse half of Jiangbei.

Once the many Real People in the north gathered, Yang Ruiyi, whose strength was already at a disadvantage, would inevitably return without success and might even greatly damage the south's vitality!

'Could it be that Yang Ruiyi tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead…'

He immediately shifted his gaze to the top of the mountain. There were no figures in the brightly lit temple. The bones of monks and scattered golden robes were everywhere, and a monk sat upright on the mountain of corpses, his face pale, still stubbornly chanting scriptures.

'It's Ming Xiang.'

Chang Yun had a good relationship with Lotus Temple and of course knew this rising star of Lotus Temple in recent years. This person did not exert his full strength in the great battle on the lake, but according to Chang Yun's estimation, this person's strength was only below Guang Chan and Zhelu!

But even if Chang Yun overestimated his strength, he was now suspicious and horrified:

'There must be a trick! The one inside is not Yang Ruiyi!'

The 'Deprived Qi' in Yang Ruiyi's hands can simply be listed as the most restrained Taoism for Buddhist cultivators. Suppressing it with this 'Deprived Qi' spiritual treasure is enough to completely cut off any Buddhist cultivator or Buddhist land that is not a Mahayana power, unable to borrow any strength. Ming Xiang is not Jin Lian, so it is impossible to hold on until now unscathed!

The dark evil aura in the sky was infinitely heavy. Chang Yun suddenly turned his head and found that the road he had come from was gradually disappearing. However, he did not immediately lift his leg but revealed a look of contemplation.

"Fellow Daoist Chang Yun!"

The surprise and doubt on Chang Yun's face had disappeared. He lowered his head thoughtfully and saw that the expression on the hand in his sleeve suddenly solidified. Two faint eyes lit up with red light, shining brightly into his eyes!

"You!"

This Real Person's figure instantly froze. He hesitated for a moment in his mind, but the hand in his sleeve that was pinching the talisman eventually loosened. He gritted his teeth, lowered his eyebrows, closed his eyes tightly, and activated his divine power!

"Chi!"

Even though Chang Yun was a mid-Purple Mansion cultivator with an extremely strong Dharma body, he couldn't help but be caught off guard by this illumination. The pair of silver bright eyeballs shattered with a bang, and two streams of golden blood slid down from the corners of his eyes. He had already lost a pair of eyes!

He cried out in pain and decisively raised his hand high, striking the severed hand with his sleeve. In an instant, golden light shattered, and blackness collapsed. All around, there were miserable screams echoing. Chang Yun's chance to leave this place suddenly disappeared. He was not polite at all and roared:

"You actually deceived me with transformation techniques!"

The Yin Qi in the sky was heavy and oppressive. Six talismans flew out one by one from the tightly closed bronze door, scattering many ghosts and monsters in the sky, and together they suppressed Chang Yun's body.

The white light in the temple became more and more dim, but because of Chang Yun's distraction, it gained a bit of breathing room. Ming Xiang sat cross-legged in front of the temple, his hands clasped together, his face full of piety.

Minghui's severed limb was shattered by Chang Yun's palm, but he did not have the slightest bit of grief. Instead, his expression was calm, and he sneered in his heart:

'Junior brother, it seems he has also understood!'

As he sneered, a small section of golden nasal bone was revealed from the clothes on his chest, humming and vibrating, using Dharma power to mysteriously transmit Minghui's thoughts:

'Chang Yun is very clever and already knows that the one in this territory is not Yang Ruiyi. But it's not just us who hate Qi Lanyan. Chang Yun was forcibly summoned by him, so what good feelings could he have for him! He is even more unwilling to offend the south. He quickly crippled a pair of Dharma eyes and took the opportunity to retreat from the front line. There is a reason why he can't recognize Yang Ruiyi!'

Chang Yun's Dharma eyes were powerful. What fell into his arms just now was indeed not a transformation technique but Minghui's own method. It was a secret collusion to help him shirk responsibility!

'Now that I am resisting the south and my Dharma body is destroyed, the master also has a reason to protect us. Once the Deprived Qi is closed, who will know what happened inside? Who can put this responsibility on our heads?'

His voice became a bit colder, and he laughed viciously:

'Let Dayang Mountain and Qi Lanyan be caught empty-handed! Let Yang Ruiyi give them a fierce blow!'

'You people of Dayang Mountain, do you think my fellow disciples are made of mud? If my fellow disciples were really like dogs and horses at your disposal… then I, Shan Ledao, wouldn't need to be ranked as one of the Seven Aspects!'

… …

Xuanmiao Temple.

The distant light flickered incessantly, its redness stinging the eyes. The dharma lamps in front of the platform flickered dimly, appearing desolate. Above, the young man, wearing a long white gauze crown and a Taoist robe of black clouds with mysterious patterns, stared intently at the chessboard on the platform.

It was none other than Qi Lanyan, the one stirring up Jiangbei!

The young man playing chess with him was dressed in blue, his eyes bright. A small water sparrow perched on his shoulder, looking at him with a smile, and said:

"Shan Ji is in complete chaos, yet Lord Qi remains so calm."

Qi Lanyan picked up a chess piece and said softly:

"With Gongsun Bei and Murong Yan in Shan Ji, there won't be any problems in the short term. Yang Ruiyi has not yet appeared, so you and I cannot act rashly."

He tapped the table and raised his eyebrows, saying:

"I am curious, with Du Xian Dao facing the wilderness directly, why did Fellow Daoist Bai accept the invitation to come here? Aren't you afraid?"

Ye Gui laughed, without a trace of worry between his brows, and only said:

"I trust in your Lordship."

Ye Gui was originally a selfish and self-serving person, his only concern being his sister's children. He had arranged for them to go overseas long ago. He wouldn't care if others died a thousand or ten thousand times. These words were naturally flattery, and Qi Lanyan didn't believe them either, saying faintly:

"There are roughly three veins in Jiangbei. To the west are the Xiao Shi and Tang Dao mountains behind Bai Jiangxi, in the center are Chengshui and Du Xian… and to the east is Xuanmiao behind Shan Ji…"

"Which route do you think Yang Ruiyi will attack, Fellow Daoist?"

Ye Gui picked up a chess piece, looked at the trend on the board, and said softly:

"What the Great Song Dynasty wants is not to break through any particular family or sect, but the overall situation of the world, from a place beyond Yue to controlling Huaijian, and then to regaining the momentum of the Chu Kingdom… Although the current territory is large, there is a thorn in the side, a splinter in the flesh in Yue, and Yang Ruiyi will have trouble sleeping and eating if it is not removed."

He placed the chess piece and said in a low voice:

"Shan Ji."

If Zhi Xuanxie did anything that disgusted the Yang family the most, it would undoubtedly be planting the nail of Shan Ji in the south. If Shan Ji County is lost, even if the Great Song Dynasty takes over the Shu region, the Song Emperor will still have the reputation of losing the old land of the former kingdom!

"Not so."

The latest novels are first published on 6_9_shu_ba!

Qi Lanyan nodded and smiled, saying:

"They must take Shan Ji, but they don't have the strength to attack it forcefully. They should plan slowly, but there is one thing Yang Ruiyi can't compare to me—he has a Song Emperor above him. Once he launches an attack, he must achieve success."

Ye Gui's expression was deep, and he narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Your Lordship's information is indeed well-informed."

He couldn't figure out how Qi Lanyan determined the relationship between Yang Ruiyi and the Song Emperor, and could only assume it came from the forces behind him. Qi Lanyan said in a low voice:

"Since Shan Ji cannot be taken, he can only enter from the middle, cutting off Du Xian in the center and severing the connection between Xuanmiao and the Zhao Kingdom. Firstly, it is to cooperate with the attack on Western Shu on the other side, and secondly… it is also to give an account to the Song Emperor."

Ye Gui was so intelligent, he nodded and said:

"So, your Lordship deliberately let Du Xian be taken."

Qi Lanyan smiled and said:

"Not really… there are still places where I can use you."

Then he lifted his sleeves and saw the jade talisman in his hand faintly emitting a glow, and smiled:

"Beneath Cheng Yun, beside Du Xian, there is a Fanyun Cave. Several fellow Daoists, Chang Yun and Ming Xiang, have already lost contact and are trapped within. Presumably, Yang Ruiyi has arrived. Please ask Fellow Daoist to call on Zong Chang and others to go to Shan Ji first and deal with Liu Bai, and preferably take down Yu Fu County!"

Ye Gui immediately stood up and praised, thoughtfully saying:

"Your Lordship is truly a master strategist… But that spiritual treasure is powerful. If we go to the east, and we don't know who Yang Ruiyi has brought with him, it will be difficult for Chang Yun and Ming Xiang to stop him alone…"

Qi Lanyan smiled coldly:

"I have already arranged for Fellow Daoist Guang Chan to rush to the vicinity. With him there, he should be able to temporarily hold off Yang Ruiyi. The people from Dayuan Guangyin Mountain have all gone over."

Ye Gui repeatedly praised his wisdom, bowed and saluted, and then got up to leave, unconvinced in his heart:

'Guang Chan will go? Bullshit!'

Guang Chan would never let go of the juicy meat of Wangyue Lake, which means that this person should still be on the lake. Qi Lanyan deliberately mentioned it to convict him. As for how the surrounded people die, it has nothing to do with him.

'Since he can make Chang Yun and Ming Xiang fall into it silently, it is undoubtedly Yang Ruiyi… Now that this person's whereabouts have been revealed, why is Qi Lanyan still sitting here? Why doesn't he take the opportunity to go south?'

Ye Gui looked respectful on the surface, but extremely treacherous in his heart, and couldn't help but turn his head to look at Qi Lanyan, saying:

"Lord Qi…"

Qi Lanyan shook his head and smiled, saying:

"I have my own place to go."

The young man watched Ye Gui leave and refocused on the chessboard. After a while, a man in Taoist robes came forward, bowed in front of the platform, and said respectfully:

"Master!"

Qi Lanyan didn't bring any Zhi Xuanxie disciples with him this time, but this disciple who called him Master was wearing Zhi Xuanxie's clothing… Even more bizarre was… this person's cultivation was only at the Qi training stage!

"Get up."

Qi Lanyan looked at him with a smile, and saw the man get up after bowing, and said respectfully:

"Master, now is…"

Qi Lanyan put away his hand, turned to look at him, and said quietly:

"Yang Ruiyi can't lose more territory in the south. Losing one piece, even if it's ten pieces in the north, can't make up for it. He won't leave Shan Ji alone. There must be a backup plan there. Ye Gui and others will definitely return without success, so there's no need to go."

The man lowered his head, agreeing:

"What Master says is very true…"

He knelt on the ground, and said carefully:

"Master… why not go to Tingzhou, to Wei Nie's place…"

His tone sounded solemn, but his voice was trembling slightly, as if he had mentioned something disrespectful. Hearing the word Tingzhou, Qi Lanyan closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and shook his head:

"I understand that you are also anxious… but there is no need to rush this moment. Li Zhouwei is very safe at the moment. If I go there alone, do I have to join forces with Guang Chan? If I drag myself in at that time, moreover, even if you kill everyone on the lake, he may not come out, and may not be able to kill him."

He looked distressed, and said:

"Failing to eliminate him before his wings were fully formed, then forcibly besieging and killing him is meaningless. The purpose of slowing down his cultivation has been achieved, but the direction of the overall situation in the north and south cannot be changed…"

The young man stood up, threw away the chess piece in his hand, and said quietly:

"When the great chaos comes, several adults will personally enter the arena, and then push the waves from the sidelines, only then will it be possible to complete this matter. Relying on us alone, even if we borrow the power of the mountain… it is not enough to complete this matter."

The person below said:

"I'm just afraid…"

He hesitated, but the words he spoke made people's hearts jump. Qi Lanyan gritted his teeth and replied:

"Besides, haven't you seen whether it's done or not!"

The person below was silent, and Qi Lanyan closed his eyes and said:

"No need to say more, I'm going to Dayuan Guangyin Mountain."

Main characters in this chapter

—

Ming ○ Hui 【Mahayana】 【Good Joy Path】

Chang ○ Yun 【Mid-Purple Mansion】

Ming ○ Xiang 【Mahayana】 【Good Joy Path】