https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-192-The-Qin-Royal-Manor-s-Crisis-First-News-of-Xu-Fenglai-Part-1-/12964079/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-193-The-Two-Princes-Qin-Yu-s-Scheme-Against-Xu-Fenglai-Part-1-/12964085/
Chapter 192: The Qin Royal Manor's Crisis, First News of Xu Fenglai (Part 2)
Chapter 192: The Qin Royal Manor's Crisis, First News of Xu Fenglai (Part 2)
"
"We were too careless."
Qinyu was surprised, "But Father, isn't this matter still undecided? Perhaps my Master guessed wrong..."
"Such a person is almost never wrong."
The Qin King chuckled dryly, "How could someone who is so far away and can analyze the situation to such an extent from just a few words, possibly be wrong?"
"And now that I think about it, that assassination attempt was indeed suspicious."
"I have an idea."
"We have the manpower."
"The Empress Dowager just happened to leave the palace, giving us an opportunity..."
"Everything is too coincidental, there are too many coincidences, which is suspicious in itself."
"Rest assured, within three days, I will find the traitor."
"You'll know soon enough."
"It's a pity..."
"What's a pity?"
"It's a pity that your Master is the Sect Master."
"If he were a solitary cultivator, it would be better."
"Such a great talent..."
Within the Qin Palace, the Qin King furrowed his brows deeply, bitterness on his lips.
In front of others, he was majestic and awe-inspiring, like an undefeated war god.
But in private, he couldn't hide the bitterness and helplessness in his heart.
The burden, the pressure, was immense.
Qinyu, sensing his father's meaning, remained silent.
He naturally understood what his father meant.
Moreover, he felt it made sense.
If his Master were willing to reside in the Qin Palace, offering his wisdom and strategies, how could the Qin Palace be as passive as it is now?
What a pity...
"Oh, Father!" Qinyu suddenly realized something.
"My Master also said that under the premise of not alerting the traitor, if we can confirm their identity, it's best not to directly eliminate them."
"To avoid stirring up trouble."
"Stirring up trouble...?"
The Qin King was taken aback, then understood, "Those words are quite interesting."
"It seems they come from an ordinary person."
After all, only ordinary people would fear snakes, and even the rustling of grass.
"A casual remark can spread for ages, such a great talent, it's a shame he's not on our side."
The Qin King sighed with regret.
However, he didn't have any other thoughts.
It was already a huge favor for someone to offer advice, and he shouldn't ask for more.
"Continue!" He gestured for Qinyu to go on.
Over the past few years, he had become increasingly satisfied with and fond of his youngest son.
But he still couldn't show it.
The more he showed it, the more danger he put his youngest son in!
And...
He kept it well hidden.
Almost no one outside knew what Qinyu looked like.
Even if they had seen him, even if they knew he was from the Qin Palace, they wouldn't know he was the third son of the Qin King.
"My Master said that without alerting the traitor, once we confirm their identity, we can turn the situation around and use them."
"We can even pretend to promote their status and position."
"This way, we can use them to spread more false information, and then... reverse the situation!"
"That makes sense!"
"It makes perfect sense!"
The Qin King's eyes lit up, "Reversing the situation, that's exactly what we should do!"
"Killing them has no benefits, and it might even make them more cautious. Moreover, we can't guarantee they won't send other traitors. But if we keep them around and pretend to promote them..."
"There are too many advantages."
"Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"
He couldn't help but slap his thigh in excitement.
This was truly brilliant! Before this, he had never thought of such a strategy.
After all, the internal traitor was so despicable that if they were caught, the natural instinct was to eliminate them immediately.
But now, after Lin Fan's reminder, countless ideas flashed through the Qin King's mind, and he suddenly had an epiphany—so this is how it's done?
"Your Master is truly a deity!"
"If I have the chance in the future, I must drink with him!"
"Rain, you must serve him well!"
"Being able to have Lin Fan as your Master is your fortune in this life!"
"Of course, child, I understand."
"..."
The father and son duo sighed heavily once more.
Unable to think of a solution, Qin Yu could only seek out Lin Fan again, hoping he could offer some advice.
"Master, it's roughly like this."
"My father had kept something from me, so I'm also unaware, but he said that the Xu Royal Manor is almost impossible to win over, and I don't know..."
"Does Master have any suggestions?"
Qin Yu felt a bit embarrassed.
He didn't want to disturb Lin Fan, and even less so, to put Master in a difficult position.
But the Qin Royal Manor held most of the people and matters he cherished, making it impossible for him to simply stand by and watch.
"Oh?"
"This does seem a bit troublesome."
Lin Fan sighed helplessly.
In truth, he wasn't a Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi, nor was he like Jia Xu, who believed in maintaining harmony with heaven, earth, and humanity, as long as it didn't harm the written word.
If he were to command from a distance of thousands of miles, without even a sand table to plan, and with no knowledge of the strengths and layouts of the various parties... he'd be useless!
The most he could do was write a few strategy guides and hope they might be of some use.
"Disciple understands, this is indeed a difficult situation for Master."
"Don't jump to conclusions just yet."
Lin Fan still wanted to try, asking, "How much do you know about the Xu Royal Manor?"
"Well..."
Qin Yu had clearly done his homework, and after his explanation, Lin Fan's head was spinning.
Finally, he suddenly changed the topic. "Oh, right."
"It just so happens that the Xu King's heir is utterly useless."
"The Xu King has two sons and two daughters."
"Both daughters are quite exceptional, with top-notch talent and beauty. One is already married, while the other serves as a general in the army."
"But his two sons... The eldest is a good-for-nothing, completely clueless about cultivation and martial arts."
"The younger son, however, is born with immense strength and a sacred body. But he lacks intelligence and still behaves like a child at seventeen or eighteen years old."
"Perhaps..."
He speculated, "Maybe that's why the Xu King doesn't want to cooperate. He might not care about the future anymore?"
Lin Fan: "..."
He really wanted to say, "Your guess is good, but no more guessing from now on."
At first glance, it seemed reasonable, but upon closer inspection, it was nothing special.
The two sons had some issues, but they weren't completely hopeless.
A spoiled young master?
Hmm.
A childlike mind?
Hmm!
Even if they were truly hopeless, what about the Xu King's cultivation? Couldn't he just start over? And if that didn't work, he still had his daughters.
Cultivators, what's wrong with women? Women can be just as capable!
It's impossible to lose all hope just because two sons turned out useless...
However, Lin Fan was quite interested in the direct family members of the Xu Royal Manor.
It wasn't just his imagination; it was genuinely hard to ignore.
"It can't be..."
"But if my guess is correct, that would be quite amusing."
"Perhaps, I might even gain another disciple."
"Even if I can't take him as a disciple, I can have my current disciples befriend him, which would also be good."
"The more friends, the more paths."
At this thought, Lin Fan smiled. "As for the Xu King's eldest son, what else do you know about him?"
"I only know he's named Xu Fenglai, a spoiled young master for over twenty years, proficient in eating, drinking, gambling, and even rumored to have abducted a commoner's daughter."
"A few years ago, the Xu King flew into a rage and banished him from the royal manor, leaving him to wander and fend for himself."
"It's been several years now."
"Other than that, I don't know much."
Sigh...
Xu Fenglai, a spoiled young master wandering the land...
That's it!
This taste, it's just right!
But it's not quite the same.
A thousand miles for a thousand horses?
This one might be ten thousand miles for ten thousand horses!
But that's not certain either.
Since this spoiled young master doesn't openly display any cultivation or martial arts abilities, it proves he won't reveal these 'supernatural powers,' so he likely won't get far.
Perhaps it's just a thousand miles.
In that case, finding him shouldn't be too difficult."
Perfect!
Lin Fan smiled. "I have an idea."
"But before that, you must memorize the iron rule for accepting disciples in our sect."
"After that, find a way to meet this Xu Fenglai."
"Since you're both 'royal wastrels,' you should have something in common, right?"
Qin Yu was taken aback.
The iron rule for accepting disciples and being a wastrel...?
"Master, what is this iron rule for accepting disciples?"
"It's part of our sect's rules," Lin Fan explained with a smile. "Of course, it's the most crucial part of our Moon Embrace Sect. Listen carefully."
After hearing it, Qin Yu immediately questioned his life choices.
"This... this?!"
His time in the Moon Embrace Sect had been brief, so he didn't know much about Xiao Ling'er, Wang Teng, and the others, and thus, he wasn't aware of the specific clauses they fell under.
But he knew himself very well.
Too well!
He clearly fit one of the clauses!
A flaw in his Dantian! A cultivation wastrel!
Relying on martial arts to barely become a minor expert, and then...
"!!!"
In an instant, Qin Yu's expression turned solemn.
He realized the extraordinary nature of the iron rule for accepting disciples.
Although he didn't know how this rule was formulated, it was evident that great wisdom was involved. Since Master didn't reveal the details, he didn't need to ask; memorizing it was enough!
"Master, disciple... has memorized it all."
"Memorizing is good."
Lin Fan smiled. "When you're out in the world, you'll encounter all sorts of people. If you meet someone who fits the iron rule and has decent character, try to bring them back to the sect.
"If the other party is unwilling and it's not absolutely necessary, don't create enmity."
"But if..."
Lin Fan's voice grew colder, "If we must create enmity, then there must be no hesitation or carelessness. In the shortest time possible, gather as many powerful cultivators as you can and annihilate them."
"Even if the opponent is only at the First Stage, while you utilize the Seventh or even Eighth Stage, it won't be excessive."
"Moreover, after confirming the kill, you must scatter their ashes and perform a superdegree."
"Remember, remember this well!"
Qin Yu: "Er..."
His mind raced, and he felt his heart constrict as he listened. "Yes, Master. I will remember this, disciple."
"Not only must you remember, but you must also act on it!" Lin Fan emphasized.
"Disciple will keep it in mind!"
"Good, as long as you remember. As for the Xu Royal Manor, you can give it a try. It doesn't matter if you're unsuccessful."
"..."
...
"The rules for accepting disciples are indeed peculiar and hard to understand, but thankfully there's a pattern to follow. If we encounter someone who meets the conditions, we should try to win them over."
"But as for the Xu Royal Manor..."
"Wait, since Master specifically mentioned Xu Fenglai, it's likely that he's hinting for me to start with Xu Fenglai to try and befriend the Xu Royal Manor."
Qin Yu fell into deep thought.
He was an intelligent man and quickly grasped the key point.
"Moreover, Master mentioned that we are both 'wastrels'."
"In Master's eyes, I shouldn't still be considered a wastrel at this point. In other words, Master is hinting that I should still meet Xu Fenglai under the guise of a wastrel."
"Perhaps I can create a connection with Xu Fenglai through this identity."
"That's a possibility."
"However, Xu Fenglai is a well-known wastrel who has already been driven out of the Xu Royal Manor... Could it be that this is all an act, and Xu Fenglai isn't truly a wastrel? Instead, he's a skilled actor."
Qin Yu's eyes narrowed. "This Xu Crown Prince Xu Fenglai is quite a schemer, and it's a bit frightening."
"Moreover, upon closer inspection, this Xu Crown Prince seems to fit the thirty-third rule for accepting disciples."
---
Thirty-third Rule for Accepting Disciples: A certain crown prince of a royal manor, known for being a wastrel, who has been driven out of the manor and roams the world, accompanied by a despicable old man, can be considered for direct discipleship.
"Xu Fenglai is the crown prince of a royal manor and a well-known wastrel. He's been driven out of the manor, which counts as roaming the world. The only question is whether he's accompanied by another despicable old man."
"Forget it, thinking too much is futile. It's better to take action immediately and meet this Xu Fenglai!"
Qin Yu acted on his thoughts without delay.
He immediately sought out Wang Teng and spoke to him in person, informing him of his plan to head north, using the identity of the wastrel crown prince of the Qin Royal Manor, to meet Xu Fenglai.
Wang Teng found this intriguing.
"Interesting, I'll go too."
"Moreover, since Master has hinted at it, there must be something extraordinary about this Xu Fenglai. I really want to see what makes him so special!"
"However, before we set off, you need to learn the Thousand Transformations Technique."
"If you didn't know before, it's fine, but now that you're aware of the situation in the Qin Royal Manor, I can't let you take unnecessary risks."
"Besides, outsiders don't know what Qin Yu looks like, so you can disguise yourself and avoid future troubles."
"Alright." Qin Yu agreed, "I'll listen to you."
...
That night, the two of them set off.
Qin Yu was dressed as a crown prince, a handsome figure among the commoners.
However, his physique and appearance were altered.
As for Wang Teng, he was disguised as an old man with yellow teeth, acting as Qin Yu's elderly servant.
Qin Yu wasn't too fond of this role.
Initially, he wanted to play the role of a beautiful and capable maid.
After all, this wasn't Wang Teng's first time cross-dressing, and he felt he had a talent for it. But Qin Yu insisted that, to outsiders, he was neglected in the Qin Royal Manor due to his wastrel status.
Fair enough, that made sense.
So, Wang Teng had no choice but to agree.
The two of them set out, using the teleportation array, and to onlookers, they didn't hide their identities.
This information quickly reached those who were paying attention.
The news spread far and wide.
In the imperial capital, the Empress Dowager and others received the news simultaneously, and their reactions varied.
"Qin Yu has left the Qin Royal Manor?"
"Wasn't he supposed to have been kept in a separate courtyard by the Qin King all these years, receiving little attention and living a miserable life?"
"From the news, it seems he has indeed had a miserable life. The honorable Qin King's crown prince, the young master of the Qin Royal Manor, is accompanied by only an old servant with no cultivation... It seems the Qin King is quite practical."
"But even so, what of it?"
"The Qin Royal Manor is destined to be eradicated, so let's kill this young master too."
"However... Their teleportation array's destination is the Northern Capital?"
"The Northern Capital is indeed a bit troublesome, but if used properly, it could be an opportunity. If we can incite conflict between the Qin Royal Manor and the Xu Royal Manor, everything will be much easier."
"Brilliant!"
"Send people to take care of them."
"By the way, I heard that the Xu Crown Prince is also 'wandering outside'?"
"How interesting. See if you can arrange for them to 'accidentally' meet, create conflict, and then fight to the death."
(End of Chapter)
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