Opposite Gongyang Zeng stood a tall, thin young man whose appearance closely resembled his own. Though he had a horse-like face, his features were well-proportioned and carried a unique charm. However, a subtle arrogance lingered in his eyes. It was indeed his legitimate second son, Gongyang Bo, who had been cultivating in the Golden Light Cave of Wu Dang Mountain.
Gongyang Bo nodded and said, “I was fortunate not to disgrace my mission. The senior immortals have made a decision and are preparing to intervene.”
He paused slightly, furrowing his brow, “The process was rather strange. When I first returned to the mountain and reported the matters of the Mohist school to the senior immortals, they were reluctant to have the traditionally secretive Daoist sects directly interfere in secular affairs. Furthermore, promoting the worthy and abolishing customs duties did not sever the foundation of the aristocratic families, so it wasn’t specifically targeting descendants of immortals. If we diligently cultivate ourselves, why worry about having no place to display our abilities?”
The term “aristocratic families” refers to nobles, though it was a self-designation used by some noble families.
Gongyang Zeng stroked his long beard, a common feature of the time, and slowly said, “I was precisely worried the senior immortals would react this way, so I did not act rashly during this period nor did I place all my hopes on them. But why did they change their minds later?”
“I also don’t know the reason,” Gongyang Bo replied. “Initially, when I was rejected, I earnestly pleaded with them, but to no avail. I felt quite desperate and could only remain on the mountain, persuading my close fellow disciples. As the one-month deadline approached and I was preparing to return, I was suddenly summoned by the senior immortals, who told me that the reforms in Chen indeed harmed the immortals and that they were planning to send someone to intervene.” Even now, Gongyang Bo wore a puzzled expression, completely at a loss as to why the senior immortals had suddenly changed their minds.
Gongyang Zeng paced with his hands behind his back, deep in thought, “Has no one else visited the Golden Light Cave?”
His own son had only recently entered the External Manifestation realm, and his master happened to be on a journey. He held little influence within the Golden Light Cave. Without external forces, it made no sense for the elders of the Golden Light Cave to suddenly change their stance!
“No,” Gongyang Bo shook his head firmly, “At least, as far as I know, no one has.”
He paused, then continued, “In any case, the senior immortals have agreed to this matter and plan to send a Grandmaster with a treasure to come here. However, they made it clear beforehand that the affairs in Chen are still within the scope of normal state governance. Promoting the worthy and capable is concentrated within the range directly governed by the king and hasn’t directly abolished hereditary nobility and salaries, so intervening in this matter lacks justification. Therefore, they won’t openly display the Golden Light Cave’s banner. As for how to proceed, they await your instructions, Father.”
“No worries, I already have a plan,” Gongyang Zeng lightly clapped his hands together, his expression revealing a hint of joy, as if everything were already under his control.
As Gongyang Bo was about to ask what the plan was, he suddenly remembered something and instinctively lowered his voice, “Father, I heard from my fellow disciples that the abolition of customs duties in Chen has greatly pleased the King of Chu. Several major noble families’ merchant caravans have already reaped the first profits. Moreover, the Tang Kingdom has not opposed this change, seemingly tacitly approving of the new development. It seems that merchants have already come to try their luck. If we attempt to restore the old order, we may face interference from others!”
In just a short month, the full impact of abolishing customs duties in Chen had not yet fully manifested. However, due to its proximity to the states of Chu and Tang, especially its closeness to the capital of Chu, many merchants had already made two round trips, experiencing numerous benefits.
Similarly, Meng Qi had only been lecturing in Chen for two months, yet most of the nobles, scholars, and common people had already learned the words “profit” and “interest,” as well as strange-sounding idioms like “restoring order.”
Upon hearing this, Gongyang Zeng sighed, “I must admit, the five masters of the Mohist school, especially Su Mo, are extraordinary talents. His saying ‘mutual benefit through exchange’ truly captures the way nations and people should interact. This matter brings no harm but benefits to Chu and Tang, so naturally they are happy to see it succeed and eager to share in the gains. Moreover, they can use our secure location for secret exchanges.”
Upon hearing his father praise Su Mo and acknowledge that hastily interrupting the new national policy would provoke interference from Chu and Tang, Gongyang Bo was stunned and asked, “Father, then should we still proceed or not?”
Gongyang Zeng lovingly looked at his accomplished son and chuckled, “You’re still too young and too naive. When something you strongly oppose becomes firmly established, don’t think about opposing it or overturning it. Instead, try to control it. Only then can you eliminate the disadvantages and gain the benefits!”
“Try to control it?” Gongyang Bo looked at his father in astonishment.
Gongyang Zeng’s expression turned solemn, “The new national policy won’t be abolished, but the ones implementing it shouldn’t be Su Mo and his group—they should be us!”
Since Su Mo said that the great trend of the world rolls forward, those who follow it will prosper, while those who oppose it will perish, then instead of opposing it, we should become its helmsmen, using its momentum to strengthen ourselves!
This… Gongyang Bo understood the meaning behind his father’s words. For the first time, he truly grasped what it meant to be a cunning old fox, a master of deep and careful planning. No wonder his father had always been the strategist among the three major noble families!
“So, we still need to assassinate Su Mo and his group?” Gongyang Bo thought this was what he should do, but fearing he might misunderstand his father’s intent, his tone was somewhat hesitant.
Gongyang Zeng seemed to have heard an enormous joke and burst into laughter. After finishing, he finally said, “Why should we kill them? Killing them would mean the new national policy would fall into our hands? Moreover, after the previous incident with Tian Guang, Su Mo and his group are extremely vigilant. The king also frequently watches over them. Unless the senior immortals of the Golden Light Cave can wield divine weapons and treasures, or several of the supreme elders come personally!”
He continued, his expression turning serious, “However, they do have a weak point—or rather, what they consider their strongest asset. They often rely on this for protection, so their defenses in this area are relatively lax.”
Gongyang Bo’s eyes widened, “Father, you, you mean the king!”
King Chen was a Grandmaster, the strongest figure in Chen, often protecting Meng Qi and others from assassination. His safety was the easiest to overlook!
Gongyang Zeng solemnly nodded, “Only by supporting a new king can the court’s power return to our hands. Then we can drive out and hunt down Su Mo and others, naturally incorporating the new policies into our control.”
He showed not a trace of hesitation, his fierce counterattack leaving Gongyang Bo dumbfounded.
“But, but the palace has a major formation, the king possesses a supreme weapon, and he himself is a Grandmaster. Unless the senior immortals of the Golden Light Cave can wield divine weapons and treasures, or several of the supreme elders come personally, otherwise…” he muttered, repeating his father’s earlier words.
Gongyang Zeng smiled, “That’s only if we confront them directly. The Tian and Wang families have been scheming for generations—don’t you think they wouldn’t have some secret preparations? Ask the senior immortals of the Golden Light Cave whether, if they can stealthily infiltrate the palace with the help of the ‘Immortal Tranquility Incense,’ they have any confidence in capturing the king?”
“House Tian, House Wang, the Immortal Tranquility Incense?” Gongyang Bo asked in astonishment.
Gongyang Zeng nodded, “We’ve already discussed this thoroughly!”
Gongyang Bo hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, “If we still can’t capture him, then he doesn’t deserve the title of Grandmaster!”
…
The Grand Minister’s Mansion was close to the palace, benefiting from King Chen’s protection, making it seem as solid as a fortress.
“There’s no unusual military activity on the lands of the three major noble families, so it seems there won’t be a civil war anytime soon,” Meng Qi said, holding intelligence reports gathered by several Mohist agents who had infiltrated the noble estates.
Jiang Zhiwei frowned, “But they’re too quiet and compliant. Except for the secret meeting among the three families after Tian Guang’s death, there’s been no further activity. When things are unusually quiet, there’s bound to be something sinister. If we don’t take this seriously, it will be troublesome when they finally act.”
“But we fundamentally can’t find out what they’re planning…” Zhao Heng sighed, “Unfortunately, the supernatural abilities and techniques Xiao Meng glimpsed from the Thousand-Mile Eye’s memory are half-incomplete. They must be practiced in conjunction with innate talent; otherwise, we could have spied on and monitored Gongyang Zeng and his group.”
After Meng Qi’s patient guidance, his commonly used nickname had finally settled on “Xiao Meng.”
Ruan Yushu suddenly said, “What about the Golden Light Cave of Wu Dang Mountain?”
“What about the nobles in Chu who are close to the Tian family?” Qi Zhengyan followed up.
Meng Qi glanced at the intelligence in his hand, “The noble families in Chu who have been cooperating with us have gained substantial profits and are quite satisfied. They’ve even sent people to hint that they won’t interfere in this matter.”
“As for the Golden Light Cave of Wu Dang Mountain, it is a secretive Daoist sect with a difficult-to-find location, making it impossible to investigate. We only know that Gongyang Zeng’s legitimate second son, Gongyang Bo, returned to Wu Dang Mountain some time ago and came back yesterday. However, he didn’t come back with anyone else, so we can’t determine the Golden Light Cave’s stance.”
“Can we even find out that much?” Zhao Heng was astonished, looking at Meng Qi. They even knew the movements of an External Manifestation-level expert!
Meng Qi smiled, “No matter how much our Mohist doctrines change, the ideas of universal love and rejecting fatalism still resonate more with the common people. During this period, they’ve also benefited greatly from ‘profit.’ Therefore, there are plenty of righteous individuals within the Gongyang, Tian, and Wang families willing to pass information to us. Heh, even Gongyang Bo needs to rest when he goes home, cultivate, and have people serve him—how could there be no clues at all?”
This was the vast ocean of people’s war!
Unfortunately, a month ago, we hadn’t reached this level yet. Otherwise, we might have glimpsed the content of the three families’ secret meeting!
“In any case, we must be cautious of the Golden Light Cave. It would be best to warn King Chen to ask the King of Chu to mediate a bit. Unfortunately, a month ago, they hadn’t yet seen any ‘profit,’ so the King of Chu didn’t appreciate it. Otherwise, we could have eliminated future troubles earlier,” Zhao Heng expressed his amazement at the development of the “Mohists.”
King Chen had no connection with the Golden Light Cave, making it difficult to find someone influential enough to persuade.
Meng Qi smiled and said, “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
As soon as he finished speaking, a messenger arrived from outside, saying that King Chen had summoned them to discuss state affairs.
“What a coincidence,” Meng Qi laughed heartily, leading Jiang Zhiwei and others toward the palace, leaving Bai Song, Zhao Bai, and Wang Qi to manage the Grand Minister’s Mansion.
The sky was dark, with howling winds, yet the atmosphere felt heavy and oppressive, as if a storm were about to break.
The weather made Meng Qi feel gloomy, but since there was no sense of danger, he didn’t pay much attention.
As they approached the palace, guards ahead checked the identities of the approaching group.
It was a slightly youthful face, one Meng Qi recognized well—Tian Kuo, the youngest son of the former Minister of Justice Tian Heng, who had been tested and recommended as a new “Mohist,” not an ordinary noble!
He had already become the Junior Minister of Justice, so why was he here serving as a guard?
Tian Kuo looked at Meng Qi, his expression solemn. He lowered his left hand, making a secret gesture commonly used among Mohists.
It meant: Extreme danger!
Run? Danger? Meng Qi was startled in his heart. Why did his Eight-Nine Mystical Art sense nothing?
Could it be that someone much more powerful has obscured the heavenly signs?
Was this weather caused by that?
The more critical the situation, the calmer Meng Qi remained. He secretly used the “Yu Xu Divine Calculation” to deduce King Chen’s safety.
Unclear? No conclusion?
The lack of clarity was the biggest abnormality… Meng Qi had no time to think further and transmitted his voice to Jiang Zhiwei and others:
“Run! Delay might be too late!”
In an instant, Meng Qi took Qi Zhengyan, Jiang Zhiwei took Ruan Yushu, and Zhao Heng fled alone, turning and escaping with lightning speed!
As the three beams of light took off, the person sitting inside the palace instantly sensed it and suddenly stood up, gripping a longbow in his hand, with golden light condensing into an arrow!
Inside the Grand Minister’s Mansion, Bai Song was looking at newly arrived secret intelligence: the servants of the three major noble families had discovered unusual activity at night within their respective mansions!
“Hurry, hurry and stop Master Su and the others!” He suddenly lifted his head, looking at Wang Qi and Zhao Bai.
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