My Wife Is The Leader Of A Demonic Cult-Chapter 358 - 258 Sword Dao Contest Amidst the Gathering

Chapter 358: Chapter 258 Sword Dao Contest Amidst the Gathering Storm

Chapter 358: Chapter 258 Sword Dao Contest Amidst the Gathering Storm

At this time of turmoil in Yujing City, although Lv Guoyong had resigned from his post, there were still many who came to visit the elderly man who once held great influence over both the Court and countryside, seeking to gain some warnings in advance. Thus, Lv Mansion had been very lively lately.

However, without exception, whether they were princes, high officials, or Court government officials, they were all turned away at the gate by Lv Guoyong.

This time when An Jing and Li Fuzhou, among others, came to visit, they too were stopped at the entrance.

Li Fuzhou said, “The teacher does not wish to be involved in Court affairs any longer.”

He understood Lv Guoyong’s temperament very well. Now, their identities were representatives of Outer Heaven, which may have been inconsequential during normal times, but at critical moments, it would clearly lead to gossip about Lv.

Han Wenxin looked disappointed and muttered, “What a pity, I wanted to meet Mr. Lv. If I had met such a personage, I could’ve boasted about it for years back at the authorities.”

An Jing said indifferently, “Let’s go, we’ll look for Mr. Zhou.”

Since Zhou Xianming had started his official career, he had moved out of the Lv Mansion and set up his own residence.

Upon hearing this, Han Wenxin’s eyes lit up, and he hurriedly urged, “Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go. That old boy once said he wouldn’t forget me when he made it. I was the one who supported him with funds for his studies.”

The three of them walked along the market street towards the Feihua Lane where Zhou Xianming lived.

On the way, An Jing thought of something and asked, “Third Master, where is Li Yue now?”

The Demon Sect had once expended great effort to secretly rescue Li Yue from the hands of Crown Prince Zhao Chongyin.

Li Fuzhou pondered for a moment and replied, “She practiced the Blood Spirit Technique and consumed too much of her body’s essence. Her life won’t last much longer, and she has already gone back to Yu State City now.”

Upon hearing this, An Jing raised his eyebrows and said, “She’s back in Yu State City?”

Li Fuzhou nodded and said, “That’s correct, but I’ve dispatched two spies from the Human Sect to follow her.”

An Jing nodded and said, “That’s good. We can’t let her fall into the hands of the Crown Prince again.”

Li Fuzhou nodded in agreement.

As they spoke, the three of them arrived at a brand new mansion with the words ‘Zhou Residence’ elegantly inscribed above.

Of late, due to Zhou Xianming gaining favor with the Human Emperor and because of his ties to the Lv Sect, he had risen meteorically, at an astonishing speed, now serving as the Assistant Minister of Rites. His promotion speed left people in awe.

As the current Assistant Minister of Rites, his mansion was naturally grand and exuded extraordinary prestige.

“My goodness!”

Han Wenxin, upon seeing the grand mansion, exclaimed, “Old Zhou has made it big, he really has. This mansion alone, if converted to silver, could rent out an entire pleasure boat in Yu State City.”

Li Fuzhou stepped forward to knock on the door and said, “Just one pleasure boat? You are vastly underestimating him.”

“Thump, thump!”

Soon the door opened, and the gatekeeper was a middle-aged man.

He looked at the man dressed in traditional scholar’s attire with not a hair out of place and said, “Our master is a bit weary today and will not receive visitors. Please come back another time.”

Li Fuzhou chuckled softly and said, “Go tell your master that my name is Li Fuzhou.”

“Li Fuzhou?!”

The middle-aged man, after hearing this, paused for a moment and then said, “Alright, I will go in and notify him.”

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Han Wenxin humphed and said, “Is Old Zhou putting on airs now? In the past, I could come and go in his home as I pleased.”

An Jing shook his head and said, “It’s different now.”

Han Wenxin puzzledly asked, “What’s different about him, did he grow an extra bird?”

“Hahahaha!”

Hearing Han Wenxin’s words, An Jing couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

In Han Wenxin’s heart, Zhou Xianming was still the Zhou Xianming of before, the impoverished scholar who used to tell stories at Datong Teahouse.

But was he really still that destitute scholar?

“Creak!”

At this moment, the door opened once more, and out came Zhou Xianming with a face full of smiles, “Brother An, Mr. Li, you’ve all arrived, oh, isn’t this Head Arrester Han?”

When Zhou Xianming saw Han Wenxin, he looked surprised, “You’re still alive?”

Han Wenxin’s face darkened, “Not only am I still alive, but I’m also living quite well, can’t you see?”

Zhou Xianming stepped forward and caressed Han Wenxin’s shiny bald head with his palm, “Indeed, how did you turn into a marinated egg? Could it be you’ve already severed the seven emotions and six desires and abandoned worldly troubles?”

Han Wenxin slapped away Zhou Xianming’s hand and strode toward the residence, saying impatiently, “I want to see if you’ve become corrupt, how many delicate young ladies you’re hiding in this big mansion.”

Zhou Xianming shook his head as he watched Han Wenxin’s retreating back, then turned to An Jing and Li Fuzhou, saying, “This way, please.”

An Jing smiled, “Let’s go and see Mr. Zhou’s grand residence.”

The group entered Zhou Xianming’s residence, which was a large compound with three courtyards, originally left by a rich merchant from Yunping Dao. Later, it caught the eye of Princess An Le and became her side residence.

However, she rarely stayed there, so the three-courtyard compound had always been vacant, until not long ago when it was gifted to Zhou Xianming.

Zhou Xianming walked ahead, gesturing with his hand and smiling, “This way, please, I’ve already prepared a feast.”

Li Fuzhou smiled and said, “It seems you’ve foreseen our arrival, Xianming.”

Zhou Xianming replied, “The Princess said that Brother An would definitely come and instructed me to take good care of Brother An, so I prepared everything in advance.”

An Jing and Li Fuzhou exchanged glances, both understanding clearly.

It was obvious from Zhou Xianming’s words that his current identity represented Princess An Le, and he was no longer simply the story-telling scholar Zhou Xianming.

Prepared in advance?! Han Wenxin’s heart thumped wildly, his face flushing red as he grabbed Zhou Xianming’s arm, saying, “Brother Zhou, you’ve really prepared everything?”

Zhou Xianming said, “Head Arrester Han, do you know why you’ve always been just an arrester?”

Upon hearing this, Han Wenxin couldn’t help but heave a sigh, “Because my Qiankun Blade has never reached the Perfect Realm.”

The Qiankun Blade, a Martial Art specifically practiced by government officials, was a Fourth Grade art. However, with Han Wenxin fishing for three days and drying his nets for two, naturally, he couldn’t cultivate it to Perfection. To enter the Xuanyi Guard and practice there, the first requirement was to reach the Perfect Realm with the Qiankun Blade.

Zhou Xianming shook his head, “Because you’re always thinking with your lower half, not your latter half.”

Li Fuzhou nodded in agreement.

Han Wenxin’s face turned completely black. In the past, those were words he used to admonish Jie Lu; now, Zhou Xianming was using them to reprimand him.

Soon, Zhou Xianming led the three of them to the banquet.

Everything seemed to return to normal, as beautiful singers danced and the four of them drank to their hearts’ content.

Just like in the old days, all three had changed, but only Han Wenxin’s small eyes constantly sought pleasure on the bodies of the singers, paying no mind to the conversation between the others.

Seeing this, An Jing couldn’t help but think back on the idle chat aboard the pleasure boat in Yu State City.

They had all changed, yet only Han Wenxin remained steadfast, unwavering in his conviction.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes,

Han Wenxin lay sprawled across the table, sound asleep with heavy breaths.

An Jing glanced casually behind the curtain before setting down his wine cup, asking, “Mr. Zhou, there is something I wish to inquire about.”

Zhou Xianming, seeing An Jing’s manner, replied, “Please ask, I shall hold nothing back.”

An Jing asked, “Then let’s cut to the chase, who grievously wounded His Majesty?”

Since Zhou Xianming had already become an intimate confidant of Zhao Xuening, he must be privy to many secrets unknown to others.

“The one who gravely injured His Majesty is a truly exceptional and rare individual.”

Zhou Xianming furrowed his brows, seemingly taking a moment to compose himself before saying, “I know very little about this person, only that he has lived for a thousand years, lying dormant in this world.”

It was indeed him!

An Jing couldn’t help but silently exclaim upon hearing Zhou Xianming’s words.

Jin Deng had once mentioned to him about this undying man, who not only was the main culprit behind the Great Yan Emperor’s severe injury but also the teacher of Zongzheng Huachun.

To be able to live for a thousand years was frightening enough, but to also continually slay top-ranking Great Grandmasters over these centuries was even more terrifying.

Li Fuzhou’s brows were knitted tightly, even though An Jing had already told him about this undying man, his heart was still profoundly shaken.

Zhou Xianming said, “It’s true that His Majesty has been seriously wounded and his health deteriorating, but His Majesty does not wish to pass the throne to Zhao Chongyin.”

Li Fuzhou asked, “Oh? What then does His Majesty intend?”

As the Crown Prince, Zhao Chongyin was not an ineffectual person and was the most suitable successor at present. If the Human Emperor did not wish to pass the throne to the Crown Prince, then who did he intend to choose?

Zhou Xianming sighed and said, “His Majesty wishes to pass the throne to Princess An Le, but now the Court is filled with the Crown Prince’s faction, and His Majesty’s declining health means he has less and less control over the court.”

An Jing spoke indifferently, “Mr. Zhou, are you speaking truthfully?”

Zhou Xianming gave a wry smile, “Absolutely true. His Majesty plans to depose the Crown Prince and have Princess An Le inherit the throne, but the Princess is now in a difficult situation, alone and powerless against Zhao Chongyin.”

Not to mention Zhao Xuening, even the former Zhao Mengtai’s faction had difficulty competing with Zhao Chongyin in the halls of power.

The Crown Prince’s faction is indeed the largest faction in the Court.

Especially since Zhao Zhiwu stays out of court affairs and Zhao Tianyi does not engage in forming cliques, this indirectly bolsters the power of the Crown Prince’s faction.

Now Zhao Xuening’s possible allies are those opposed to Zhao Chongyin, or the remnants of Zhao Mengtai’s faction, among which the largest force is undoubtedly the Demon Sect.

Although conventional wisdom suggests that the Demon Sect would definitely side with Princess An Le, the truth is unpredictable, and until the very end, no one knows who the Demon Sect will support.

Thus, at this moment, Zhou Xianming’s words were undoubtedly a probe.

An Jing earnestly said, “As long as His Majesty issues an Imperial Decree, it shall become a state affair. I shall abide by His Majesty’s will and ensure that no usurper ascends to the throne unlawfully.”

Upon hearing An Jing’s statement, a gleam of light flickered in Zhou Xianming’s eyes.

That statement had essentially declared his position.

“Clap, clap, clap, clap!”

Just then, the crisp sound of clapping hands arose, and looking towards the source of the sound,

The person who came was none other than Princess An Le, Zhao Xuening.

Her hair was coiled up on her head, with phoenix eyebrows like crescent moons, a pair of beautiful eyes brimming with feeling, a tall and elegant nose, slightly blushed cheeks, lips as delicate as orchids emitting fragrance, and a face as fair as an eggshell ravishingly beautiful. Her skin was tender enough to break at a touch, snowy white like frost, and her figure frail, like that of a water deity just emerging from the depths.

“Your Highness, the Princess!”

An Jing and Li Fuzhou both rose and bowed with a fist in hand.

“There’s no need for such formalities.”

Looking affectionately at An Jing, Zhao Xuening said, “I was just discussing with Xianming. Your sudden visit was my doing; I asked Xianming not to mention my presence. I hope Master An doesn’t hold it against me.”

An Jing chuckled, “Your Highness, you overstate things; I understand completely.”

He knew that Zhao Xuening was behind the curtain, and Zhao Xuening also knew that he was aware of her presence.

What Zhao Xuening wanted was a display of attitude, much like those implied in An Jing’s words earlier, intended for Zhao Xuening to hear.

The two of them simply brought into the open what wasn’t put forward openly before.

Her phoenix eyes sparkling with mirth, Zhao Xuening said, “With these words from Master An, Xuening feels reassured. As long as the grand plan succeeds, Outer Heaven’s status in Great Yan will remain unrivaled, even surpassing that of the current Zhenyi Sect.”

An Jing gazed at Zhao Xuening before him.

He could distinctly sense that Zhao Xuening had changed. The first time he saw her was in Ping County. Back then, Zhao Xuening still carried a hint of naivety, clever though as she was within the harem, but after that, in the ruined temple of Prince Xu’s mountain, she was at the mercy of Qi Shu and suffered great humiliation, which taught her to endure and be patient.

Their subsequent meetings, mostly in Yujing City, saw Zhao Xuening going from curious to launching an offensive against An Jing, composed and unrestrained. Coupled with her unique identity, she was even overwhelming for An Jing at times.

But now, Zhao Xuening possessed an added air of composure, depth, and subtlety.

This transformation, from the inside out, was utterly captivating.

An Jing laughed softly, then asked, “Princess, I hear that the Crown Prince has invited Xiao Qianqiu?”

Even though the Mystical Sect had received reliable intelligence, An Jing still wanted to confirm it, not only to get some information from Zhao Xuening but also to gauge the extent of her current capabilities.

“Indeed, my brother has invited the State Preceptor,” acknowledged Zhao Xuening with a slight nod, her delicate brows furrowing slightly as she added, “Moreover, the State Preceptor has agreed to lend his full support to help my brother ascend to the throne.”

Hearing this, An Jing couldn’t help but smile. “Is that so?”

This was not just a struggle between Zhao Xuening and the Crown Prince but also between the Zhenyi Sect and the Mystical Sect.

It was, furthermore, a contention between An Jing and Xiao Qianqiu.

An Jing had long known that a fight was inevitable with Xiao Qianqiu, not only because of their dispute over the Mystical Sect’s lineage but also due to the expectations of individuals like Jiang Sanjia and Lou Xiangzhen, and the inherent rivalry between them.

How can one become truly number one in this vast world of Jianghu?

When you are invincible, with no one before you, only then are you truly the number one in the world.

At this moment, both An Jing and Xiao Qianqiu were on this path, striving to become the ultimate number one, supported by many who also wished them to achieve that title.

The two of them seemed destined to engage in this gamble by fate.

Li Fuzhou, standing to the side, also narrowed his eyes. With his wisdom, he could glean that there must be a dispute in play.

Zhao Xuening gave a slight nod and seemed to recall something, saying, “The conflict in Jiangnan Dao is also reaching a critical point. Buddhist disciples and many experts rushed to Yujing City because of the Xi Hafu incident. In three days, Father Emperor will summon you, Fa Wu, and Xiao Qianqiu to the Imperial City.”

…….