In the eyes of Taoists like Tian He Tongzi, who had opened their spiritual eyes, a white jade dragon could be seen spiraling, surrounded by layers of colorful auspicious clouds, dazzling and mesmerizing.
“This must be the fortune of Wang Zhong from those years,” someone murmured. “It’s said that when he was born, unusual energy followed him, shaped like dragons and tigers, colored in five hues. Indeed, he is a human Daoist dragon!”
Tian He Tongzi murmured with a strange expression, “What a pity… Wang Zhong’s fortune was weakened by imperial decree back then, and after suppressing the dragon for years, the karmic entanglements can no longer be retrieved…”
He inwardly understood Wang Zhong’s intentions, which were to have his descendants release the white dragon, resolving their karmic ties while reclaiming the great fortune of the mortal realm.
But now, one wrong move had ruined everything. Fate’s manipulation could hardly be more cruel.
The swirling seven-colored auspicious clouds scattered further, with three pieces falling down—one flying toward the ancestral hall, while the other two landed on the cliff’s summit. A smaller portion went toward Wang Yu, while the majority drifted toward Wu Qing.
“Hmm… This is a reward for merit, an autonomous act of Heaven’s will, absolutely fair… However, Wang Zhong was the former master of the dragon’s fortune, so gaining favor makes sense, but how come Mia Qing also receives a share?”
Seeing the strands of auspicious energy descend, Heaven’s favor shining upon Wu Qing, whose fortune atop her head transformed dramatically—green and flourishing, faintly echoing the cry of a phoenix—Yun Ping, the academy dean, murmured to himself.
Even the other Taoists, including Tian He Tongzi, watched with envy.
Heaven’s favor and fortune bestowed upon one’s cultivation path meant unimpeded progress, sufficient to rival decades of accumulation by ordinary cultivators.
“Roar!”
At this moment, the dragon in the sky roared again, its claws slightly moving.
Crack!
As if pulled by an invisible force, nearly half of the colorful cloud heading toward the ancestral hall was torn away. The fortune drifting toward Wang Yu was also greatly reduced, all converging toward Wu Qing.
“Tsk tsk… The dragon is secretly interfering. This female Taoist isn’t simple at all…”
Sighing, Tian He Tongzi saw that only a thin strand of fortune landed on Wang Yu’s head, barely resisting the urge to laugh aloud.
This young man schemed so meticulously, only to end up making clothes for others. Such a small gain would barely be enough to atone for his original sins.
How could it compare to Wu Qing, who gained fortune effortlessly without doing anything?
“This…”
Wu Qing felt several streams of energy descend, refreshing her spirit and loosening her cultivation bottleneck, causing her expression to change.
She originally possessed an extremely noble fate, and now with streams of fortune rushing in, she absorbed them all, transforming them into her own foundation without any waste.
Knowing she had gained immense benefits, Wu Qing immediately thought of Wu Ming.
“Could all of this be secretly arranged by my younger brother…?”
Recalling his message via carrier crane advising her not to compete with Wang Yu and to “wait for his defeat,” Wu Qing’s eyes sparkled with unusual brilliance.
Originally, she had barely managed this tribulation, even reaching the point of “entrusting her child to others.”
But she never expected that the younger brother, who always relied on her protection and stayed under her wings, had suddenly grown up and could now shelter her from storms.
This transformation felt unfamiliar yet heartening to Wu Qing.
“It seems my dear brother has many secrets hidden from me… When I return, I must interrogate him thoroughly…”
Smiling gently, her unintentional charm caused the surrounding Taoists to momentarily lose themselves.
…
Meanwhile, within the military camp in the prefectural city.
“I request an audience with Prefect Xing!”
After Li Yu reported, a guard led him through the camp entrance, and immediately behind him, he shivered.
He keenly sensed that today’s camp exuded a sharper, bloodier aura than usual, carrying an ominous vibe.
“War is a deadly weapon—deadly weapons must be wielded with utmost caution!”
Li Yu thought to himself as he entered the main hall, where Prefect Xing Ju sat behind a desk. A burly man clad in armor, his face filled with a fierce aura.
“What’s strange is how such a man could father such a delicate, charming daughter…” Li Yu mused inwardly, while formally presenting the governor’s document: “By the governor’s command, the Wang family is plotting rebellion within the city. Please swiftly mobilize troops to suppress them!”
“Hmm!”
Xing Ju took the document, glanced at it indifferently, and casually tossed it onto the desk, a reaction that immediately caught Li Yu’s attention.
“Guards! Summon the officers for a meeting!”
Xing Ju commanded, and several attendants immediately left to relay the order.
Soon, footsteps echoed, mingling with the sound of armor dragging across the floor, as over a dozen officers entered and saluted Xing Ju: “Subordinates report for duty, Prefect!”
The military system of the Zhou dynasty was organized with five soldiers forming a squad, and ten soldiers forming a platoon. Five platoons constituted a company, commanded by a Pei Rong Xiao Wei (Squad Commander), who held the rank of Zheng Jiu Pin (9th rank). Two companies formed a battalion, led by a Yu Wu Xiao Wei (Battalion Commander), in charge of one hundred soldiers, holding the rank of Zheng Ba Pin (8th rank). Five battalions made up a regiment, commanded by a Zhi Guo Xiao Wei (Regiment Commander), overseeing five hundred soldiers, with the rank of Zheng Qi Pin (7th rank)!
The Prefect held the rank of Zheng Liu Pin (正六品), commanding three regiment commanders and several deputy commanders of Cong Qi Pin (从七品), each leading several battalions. In total, there were two thousand city soldiers, with ranks strictly suppressing the lower ranks.
“Alright! All of you rise!”
With a wave of his hand, Xing Ju noticed Li Yu standing beside him. Several officers’ expressions changed instantly.
“The city has changed. The governor has ordered us to deploy troops to suppress it… What are your thoughts?”
Xing Ju briefly explained the situation, distributing the document bearing the governor’s official seal for the officers to examine.
As he posed the question, the room fell silent, with everyone exchanging glances.
“Prefect! Subordinate believes this is unwise!”
At this moment, one regiment commander stepped forward, directly refusing, making Li Yu’s eyelid twitch.
“Oh? Why?”
Seeing Xing Ju hesitate, the officer gained confidence and continued: “According to regulations, even the governor, without an imperial decree, can only mobilize one regiment. How can he issue direct orders? Moreover… the city unrest can be managed by the local constabulary, numbering hundreds, along with local militia. Why deploy city soldiers? With all due respect, this is absurd!”
“Dare you! You…”
Li Yu grew furious. He knew well that among the city soldiers, certain officers were loyal to the Wang family. However, he hadn’t expected such boldness and deep entrenchment, even among regiment commanders. This revelation was alarming.
“Who gave you the right to speak here? Step back!”
Xing Ju barked at Li Yu, who stood aside, face flushed with anger, before continuing: “You all… anyone who agrees, speak up. Listening to all sides brings clarity; one-sided trust leads to darkness. I am not an unreasonable man…”
“Prefect, we agree!”
Seeing Xing Ju’s reaction, several vice-commanders stepped forward. Roughly counting, aside from a few of Xing Ju’s loyalists, most had sided with the Wang family, commanding nearly a thousand troops, causing Li Yu’s face to pale.
Such a massive force, backed by the prestige of the Wang family, would force even the Prefect to reconsider carefully.
Indeed, as he looked up, he saw Xing Ju’s contemplative gaze, sending a chill down his spine…
Within the Wang family mansion in the city.
“Report! My lord, our covert agents have been fully deployed, seizing all four city gates!”
“Report! My lord, secret messengers have informed us! Li Zhen’s son, Li Yu, has entered the city soldier camp. The officers secretly loyal to us have already submitted their blood-oath documents!”
“Report! Li Zhen is entrenched in the governor’s mansion, vowing to resist to the death…”
Wang Su’s face flushed with excitement: “With all four gates secured, the entire city is under my control. The officers who have pledged allegiance to us command over a thousand troops. Xing Ju is no fool; he won’t risk his life for the governor…”
He stood up, mounting his horse outside: “Issue orders, my troops shall immediately besiege the governor’s mansion. Once Li Zhen is eliminated, our victory shall be assured!”
“Understood!”
The long street outside had already been cleared, empty and desolate, save for Wang family soldiers, fully equipped and brimming with killing intent.
“The local constabulary has already been infiltrated. This assault shall be swift and decisive!”
Wang Su’s heart burned with excitement as he shouted: “Comrades… our great cause hinges on this moment!”
“We pledge our lives to serve you!”
The soldiers clanged their weapons and shields, roaring loudly, revealing their elite nature, demonstrating the Wang family’s meticulous preparations.
“Excellent! Advance immediately!”
Wang Su issued the command, standing tall on the long street, embodying the spirit of a true man.
…
“The army is marching!”
“The army is marching!”
Inside the inn, amidst the frightened cries outside, Wu Ming remained calm.
The sound of orderly footsteps and warhorses echoed, allowing Wu Ming to vividly imagine the chaotic battlefield.
“So the Wang family has finally moved? They probably plan to capture and kill Governor Li Zhen, achieving a decisive victory in one stroke?”
He clearly saw that killing Li Zhen now would leave the entire Chufeng Prefecture leaderless. Even if Prefect Xing Ju hesitated, it wouldn’t matter much anymore, and the Wang family would solidify their position.
“But… how often does the world go exactly as one wishes?”
Wu Ming chuckled lightly, suddenly feeling a surge of energy descend.
“This… must be the arrangements from the Longmen Conference finally activating…”
Opening his spiritual eyes, he saw his fortune surge dramatically. Even the originally red and white energies swiftly absorbed red energy, showing signs of purification. He smiled.
As the mastermind behind the white dragon’s liberation, if not for sharing most of the reward with Wu Qing, his fortune would have been even more substantial.
“However… it seems the white dragon indeed did no evil. Otherwise, instead of fortune, divine punishment would have descended…”
Wu Ming smiled slightly: “The Wang family’s grand plan was to combine Yin and Yang energies during the Longmen Conference to achieve greatness. But now… instead of gaining as expected, they’ve gained a formidable enemy. I wonder what expression Wang Zhong wears…”
Though fortune isn’t everything, with the Wang family not yet holding a decisive advantage, their fortune’s decline significantly increased the likelihood of unfavorable outcomes.
Boom!
Thunder rumbled, and soon after, heavy rain poured down.
Wu Ming suddenly gazed toward Longmen Gorge: “This is… the water dragon moving to ascend to divinity…”
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