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Chapter 228: Auspicious Signs
Chapter 228: Auspicious Signs
Tang Xiaotang left in a daze, her mind clearly shaken by the recent events.
Lei Jun watched her retreating figure and stroked his chin thoughtfully. "This might be an even bigger shock... I'll have to be more careful to avoid such situations in the future."
Fortunately, Tang Tianshi was not one to dwell on things, and soon put the matter behind him.
For now, Lei Jun treated the news about the Pure Yin Maiden of Chunyang Palace as mere gossip.
However, there were other pieces of information that caught his attention more.
For instance, news from the Southern Wasteland continued to trickle in, providing updates on the latest developments.
Although Wei Ancheng had escaped, the Blood River Sect had suffered heavy losses.
In recent years, they had acted like vultures, drawn to the scent of blood, stirring up trouble and taking advantage of chaos to further their gains.
Their harvest had been abundant, and not only had Wei Ancheng himself progressed from the Eighth to the Ninth Heaven, but many other Blood River cultivators had also profited.
As a result, the overall strength of the Blood River Sect had greatly increased.
However, in the battle centered around Mien Long Lake, the Blood River faction had incurred heavy casualties. Counting the dead and injured, they had not only lost all their previous gains but had also suffered a setback, their overall strength now weaker than before.
It was rare for most of the previously hidden Blood River disciples to reappear together. The more ostentatiously they had acted before, the more dangerous their situation was now, as they were hunted down and besieged by various forces.
After Tu Dong, Xiong Gang, and Lian Ran, several other Blood River elders had been surrounded and killed, and countless core members had perished or been injured.
What caught Lei Jun's attention was the news about another powerful member of the Blood River Sect.
Xing Feng, known as the best among the younger generation of the Blood River Sect, had a very different style from the rest of the sect. He rarely took the initiative to slaughter innocents or provoke others.
Even so, Xing Feng had stood out among the Blood River lineage, his innate talent and strength evident.
He usually acted alone and had little interaction with the others in the Blood River Sect.
It was only when the situation took a turn for the worse that Xing Feng made a brief appearance to help a small number of Blood River heirs escape.
However, he did not offer any assistance to Wei Ancheng, the leader of the Blood River Sect.
Such behavior naturally sparked speculation among onlookers about the internal dynamics of the Blood River Sect.
Sang Lu, the Holy Master of Ge Po Mountain, had been severely injured in the battle at Mien Long Lake.
Li Tianqing chose to escort her back to the holy land of Ge Po Mountain.
The Shen Wu lineage would no longer participate in the pursuit and crackdown on the Blood River lineage.
Yuan Shanji, who had been expelled from Ge Po Mountain, thus escaped a calamity. He had not been purged by the Shen Wu lineage, but having also been injured in the battle at Mien Long Lake, he disappeared without a trace and had not been seen since.
The Lun Hui Abyss and Yin Shan Canyon participated in the subsequent battles, led by the powerful Feng Gui and Hu Hengyuan.
In addition to the Blood River Sect, Jin Cheng Zhai had also suffered significant losses. Their mountain gate holy land, which had been rebuilt not long ago, was once again abandoned and destroyed. The Ghost Dao lineage went into hiding, their members dispersing and concealing their tracks.
In addition to Gao Pu, it was rumored that two other elders of the Seventh Heaven had perished.
To ensure his escape, Zong Han, the Holy Master of Jin Cheng Zhai, had also sacrificed a powerful evil soul.
With these losses, the threat they posed had diminished further... Lei Jun nodded to himself as he heard the news about Jin Cheng Zhai.
Zong Han, Gao Pu, and the others had a contentious relationship with the Celestial Masters' Mansion, and so after Zong Han unified Jin Cheng Zhai, this holy land of the Ghost Dao had become another adversary of the Celestial Masters' Mansion.
However, when Wei Ancheng led the Blood River Sect to subjugate Jin Cheng Zhai, they had already lost core members like Cao Cheng. Now, with the deaths of Gao Pu and others, Jin Cheng Zhai was also badly damaged.
Just like the Blood River Sect, they were currently public enemies in the Southern Wasteland, and for a long time to come, their priority would be self-preservation rather than causing further trouble for the Celestial Masters' Mansion in the north.
It was even possible that those within Jin Cheng Zhai who had been subdued by Zong Han and Gao Pu would develop new ideas, causing the previously unified Jin Cheng Zhai to undergo changes once again.
In addition to the Blood River Sect, the direct descendants of the Sui Dynasty had also suffered greatly.
It had already been difficult for them to gather talented individuals, and now, Prince Sheng Kang, Yang Yuqi, was left with barely any followers.
In this situation, the idea of restoring the dynasty seemed like a pipe dream. Even if Yang Yuqi himself remained determined, how many of his subordinates still had the resolve and confidence to continue?
From this perspective, although the Tang Imperial Family had failed to capture Wei Ancheng and Yang Yuqi, they had still achieved their primary objective.
After all, the Empress Zhang Wantong and other powerful members of the imperial family had not even needed to travel south.
Of course, there were also losses on their side.
In addition to the previously deceased Shangguan Peng, the Great Tang Divine Strategy Army had lost another martial arts master of the Seventh Heaven Realm.
There were also numerous injured, including powerful figures like General Shangguan Yunbo.
To guarantee his own safety and that of the Danguo Army, as well as to escort the damaged Sui Dynasty imperial seal back to the capital, he had no choice but to withdraw from the frontline and return north.
In the subsequent mopping-up battles, Xiao Xueling and Shen Qubing gained fame and glory.
Of course, the biggest mystery in the eyes of countless people regarding the great battle in the Southern Wasteland was still the sudden action of the future Buddha of the White Lotus Sect, Mi Le, against Wei Ancheng of the Blood River Sect.
This future leader of the White Lotus Sect rarely took action, but when he did, he showed no mercy. He had even brought the sect's treasure, the Nine-Grade White Jade Lotus Platform, with him to the Southern Wasteland and joined the battle against Wei Ancheng.
Unfortunately, he had come and gone in a hurry, and after Wei Ancheng escaped, Mi Le also disappeared without a trace, leaving only a huge question mark in the minds of the people.
One of the few insiders, Lei Daozhang of Longhu Mountain, concealed his achievements and remained calm and collected, as if he were merely listening to someone else's gossip.
"So, things will also come to a head in Suzhou?" Lei Jun asked with interest, looking at the two Daoists in front of him.
Both of them were wearing deep red Daoist robes and had the appearance of ordained Daoists.
One of them looked young and seemed to be only about twenty years old. In fact, he was indeed still under thirty and was Lei Jun's junior fellow apprentice, Chu Kun.
Seated next to Chu Kun was a Daoist who looked to be in his thirties, but his hair was already flecked with white, showing signs of premature aging.
He was also from the Chu family in Suzhou and had entered the sect before Lei Jun and Chu Kun. His name was Chu Andong.
In the past, Chu Andong had also been one of the potential seeds that the Celestial Masters' Mansion had cultivated diligently.
Although he was a little later than Lei Jun, he had also successfully undergone the ordination ceremony and become an ordained disciple of Longhu Mountain.
However, the vicissitudes of life were unpredictable, and unfortunately, Chu Andong had failed when attempting to cross the heavenly moat tribulation between the Third Heaven and the Fourth Heaven.
The reason why this tribulation was called a heavenly moat was that it was not only difficult but also extremely dangerous, and one wrong step would leave no room for recovery.
Fortunately, Chu Andong had not died in that tribulation but had barely managed to preserve his life.
However, his cultivation had been almost completely destroyed.
It was only because he came from the Chu family of Suzhou, a family with a long history, and his sect was the Celestial Masters' Mansion, a sacred site of the Daoist tradition, that Chu Andong, despite his loss of cultivation, appeared no different from an ordinary person after years of recuperation and consolidation.
Chu Andong never returned to the Chu Clan in Suzhou.
Longhu Mountain's Heavenly Master's Mansion didn't expel him either.
The Mansion still recognized him as an ordained disciple and assigned him some simple tasks, so Chu Andong remained on the mountain.
His lineage could be traced back to Li Song, and he was a direct descendant disciple.
However, due to his ruined cultivation, he had nothing to do with the previous Li Outer Sect conflict.
Even when elders of the Suzhou Chu Clan came to aid Li Song, Chu Andong, like Chu Kun, remained uninvolved and indifferent.
After the war, when Tang Xiaotang newly ascended to the position of Heavenly Master, she also didn't make things difficult for disciples like Chu Andong.
Not only did Chu Andong do nothing, but the Mansion mostly consoled and appeased most of the other disciples as well.
Over the years, Chu Andong had adapted to his current state and lifestyle.
Seeing the vibrant and promising Lei Jun and Chu Kun, he used to have many mixed feelings, but now, he was as calm as still water.
"Dakang Temple has already retreated from Tianlong Temple," Chu Andong said slowly. "Someone from the Chu Clan in Suzhou has joined the imperial army to start mopping up the rebels from Dakang Temple."
Initially, it was not like this.
Dakang Temple flaunted its might at Tianlong Temple's doorstep, completely disregarding Tianlong Temple's local advantage and roots in Suzhou.
If the Suzhou Chu Clan wasn't secretly supporting them, that would've been strange.
At that time, a considerable portion of the Tang court's energy was tied up in the Southern Wasteland.
But how could they allow Dakang Temple to continue wreaking havoc in the prosperous land of Jiangnan?
The Great Tang Dynasty decisively sent troops to support Tianlong Temple.
This reaction was within many people's expectations.
However, the commander of the army far exceeded everyone's expectations.
The commander who led the troops to aid Tianlong Temple in suppressing the rebellion was the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang.
The current oldest and one of the most powerful cultivators in the Zhao Wang Manor, the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang, who was in charge of guarding Youzhou.
If, in the past one to two hundred years, Zhao Wang had been one of the pillars of the Tang court, guarding the northern border of the Great Tang Dynasty, intimidating the petty thieves, and restraining the Five Surnames and Seven Hopes' Youzhou Lin Clan.
Then, the attitude of the current Old Zhao Wang was somewhat ambiguous.
Although on the surface, Zhao Wang Manor and Youzhou Lin Clan were still at odds, but it was clear to see that both sides had eased their attitudes towards each other.
And before this, Zhao Wang seemed to have some unclear connections with the Ye Clans in Jinzhou and Qingzhou.
Recalling the previous two imperial succession, especially after the death of the previous emperor Zhang Qilong, Zhao Wang was also one of the candidates for the throne, but in the end, he missed the opportunity to become the emperor again. Now, the old master's attitude really makes people wonder.
But this time, the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang went south to suppress the rebellion under the order of the central government of the capital, which made the situation even more confusing.
"Suzhou was very surprised," Chu Kun said softly.
He didn't hide the fact that he was talking about related matters in front of Lei Jun.
Everyone was a disciple of Longhu Mountain.
Chu Andong was the same.
"I heard that someone from Youzhou rushed to Suzhou overnight, but it's not certain what was said exactly," Chu Andong said calmly.
He was vague, but Lei Jun and Chu Kun could tell that the person from Youzhou referred to a special envoy sent by Zhao Wang Manor to the Suzhou Chu Clan.
Such an action was naturally to explain to the Chu Clan.
Explain what?
That the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang acted on his own, contrary to the Old Zhao Wang's intentions?
Then there's a story to this.
Why did the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang want to undermine his father?
To put it bluntly, if Zhao Wang could ascend the throne and become the emperor of the Great Tang, then the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang would be the new crown prince.
Not to mention the future, just the blessing of the country's fortune and the practice of imperial art would be what a crowd of imperial family members dream of.
Unless...
"There is a great deal of conflict between the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang and Zhao Wang, and there is even a possibility that he will be abolished by his father," Lei Jun said. "Although this possibility is very low, but in light of what is happening now, it is indeed hard to tell."
What the Crown Prince of Zhao Wang was thinking was temporarily unknown to the outside world.
But his representation of the central government of the imperial court in the south to suppress the rebellion made the Suzhou Chu Clan ponder.
They failed to probe the further depth of the Tang court.
Instead, the Empress returned a strange move, making people unpredictable.
The Suzhou Chu Clan also had no choice but to accept this situation, and on the surface, they naturally remained loyal to the court and cooperated with the suppression army.
Dakang Temple withdrew, and the siege of Tianlong Temple was lifted.
"Our Empress does act unexpectedly. Even in digging the wall, the hoe is swung quite ingeniously," Lei Jun laughed.
Chu Andong: "Using orthodoxy to win is not false, but forgive me for being blunt. At present, most of the Empress's moves are strange, and there are few orthodoxies. Although this often has unexpected results, the gaps on the chessboard are getting smaller and smaller, and in the end, it will still have to be decided by a frontal victory or defeat..."
Lei Jun and Chu Kun were both thoughtful.
Although Buddhism and Taoism stood against each other, sometimes they could sympathize with each other. The relief of the siege of Tianlong Temple also made the people of Longhu Mountain breathe a sigh of relief.
In addition to paying attention to some gossip outside, Lei Jun continued his own cultivation and spell research.
Until, something was about to happen before his eyes.
That East Palace heir, after leaving Shushan Sect, his next stop was Longhu Mountain Heavenly Master's Mansion.
Someone had already come to contact and schedule the itinerary and reception matters.
Although the Crown Prince was noble, he was not as grand as the Empress, and the etiquette did not require the Heavenly Master to come out and greet him in person.
So it was enough for Shangguan Ning to go and pick him up.
Yuan Mobai was in seclusion, and Wang Guyuan was out, so there were few people in this sect. Now, Lei Jun and Chu Kun were in charge.
Normally, later, after the Crown Prince went up the mountain, they would also pretend to entertain him.
Chu Kun hesitated, "Senior Brother, although the Crown Prince has always been uninterested in politics and devoted himself to painting, but now he has left the capital, feeling that he is quiet and thoughtful, and wants to show his existence in front of the world."
Lei Jun: "It's not impossible."
Chu Kun was very enlightened: "It's better not to get involved in the affairs between the Emperor and the Crown Prince. Should we just avoid it in advance?"
To be honest, Lei Jun had also considered this aspect.
However, what surprised him was that the light bulb in his mind showed the words:
[The Crown Prince climbs the mountain, and the waves inside and outside arise. Treat it with silence, and the fortune and misfortune will follow the thunder.]
[Top-grade opportunity, stay in the mountain and entertain the visitors during the Crown Prince's visit, there is an opportunity to obtain a third-grade expandable opportunity, no risk, no repercussions, great fortune!]
[Medium sign: Stay secluded in the mountains during the Crown Prince's visit, avoiding contact with the visitors, resulting in no additional income or loss, a neutral outcome.]
"Medium to low auspices. Leave the mountain and temporarily avoid it during the Crown Prince's visit. There will be no extra income. You will encounter some storms, but there will be no immediate danger. However, hidden dangers are lurking beneath the surface, so be cautious in the future. The outlook is ominous."
It turns out that it may be a problem to avoid going out, but it is a great blessing to stay on the mountain and entertain the Crown Prince?
(End of Chapter)
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