Seeking Fortune And Avoiding Calamity, Starting From The Heavenly Master's Mansion Chapter 260: The Hidden Power of the Celestial Masters' Mansion (Part 2) - Novel Cool

Chapter 260: The Hidden Power of the Celestial Masters' Mansion (Part 2)

Chapter 260: The Hidden Power of the Celestial Masters' Mansion (Part 2)

This seemed like an opportune moment.

However, the changes in the Vajra Temple were extraordinary, and it could no longer be viewed through the lens of its previous inclination towards the Tang court.

Additionally, with the demon chaos in Guanlong, the unexpected swift fall of the Chunyang Palace was another significant event.

Under these circumstances, Shangguan Yunbo and the others dared not act rashly and instead focused on ensuring they did not lose track of Yuanmie, Jixiang, and the other Dharma Kings.

Apart from the Jingxiang clans and the Shushan Sect heading north into Guanzhong to provide support, Guan Jing, Lu Jin Duan, Tang Xiaotang, and Chu Yu also went to Guanzhong one after another, preventing the situation in Guanlong from worsening.

With this, Shangguan Yunbo settled down and refrained from making any hasty moves.

"I will be relocating to Guanlong. As for the demon chaos and the Vajra Temple, there is no need for him to worry. The Dakkong Temple will be left to him," the Empress said. "Xue Ting has already been given the Shanhe Sword, and he will also be going to his side."

The Shanhe Sword was a martial divine weapon possessed by the Tang imperial family, renowned alongside the Taoist Tianshi Sword and the Confucian Sufeng Sword. Together, they were known as the Seven Famous Swords of the Tang Dynasty.

"According to the General's report, after the Vajra Temple drove back the Dakkong Temple, they did not pursue them. However, the expansion of the Vajra Realm has been significant," Shangguan Qing said.

"From what we currently know, there is another Buddhist master who has emerged, claiming to be from the Vajra Division, which originated from Mount Sumeru, one of the Nine Heavens!"

The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths had been cut off from the mortal realm for many years.

Although there had been various signs in several secret realms indicating that the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths might reappear due to the surge of spiritual energy, no official channels had been reopened.

But now, the first one had appeared.

Generally speaking, the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths were realms of profound wonder, surpassing other top-tier blessed lands in the mortal realm.

However, because of this, the separation of the heavens, earth, and mortal realm for thousands of years might have led to changes that caused the current Tang Dynasty to be more guarded than purely delighted.

The Empress's journey to Guanlong had two main purposes: to quell the demon chaos and to investigate the reappearance of Mount Sumeru.

Although the other party had not taken any further action for the time being.

"As for the matters in Sanjin, we will leave them in the capable hands of King Changshan and the others for now. You will assist them from the sidelines," the Empress continued.

After the Battle of Jinzhou, Chu Yu went to Guanlong, while King Changshan, Zhang Junhai, remained in Jinzhou.

On one hand, he was helping the Xuantian Temple to quell its internal strife.

On the other hand, as the Ye Clan could no longer stay in Jinzhou, it was the most opportune time for the Tang imperial family to intervene in the Sanjin region.

"Your Majesty, the influence displayed by the Tianshi Mansion during this battle was beyond expectations, and there are many secrets..."

The only female among the four subjects and the only member of the Zhang clan, Princess Zhang Ying of Shanyang, spoke at this point.

Princess Zhang Ying of Shanyang was the daughter of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and the sister of Zhang Qilong and Zhang Wantong, making her one of the most noble figures in the current Zhang-Tang imperial family, second only to the Empress herself in terms of cultivation among female members of the imperial family.

Her concern was not focused on Xu Yuanzhen's personal strength but rather the overall power of Longhu Mountain's Tianshi Mansion.

To be precise, it was not the collective strength of the top cultivators of the Tianshi Mansion that concerned her.

"Instead, it's a hidden force. Or a soft power, so to speak."

"Places like Zezhou, Tianleshan, and the Bodhi Temple ruins are all important, but the Celestial Masters' Mansion has noticed them, and there was also the incident with Zhang Rui before."

Zhang Ying spoke up, "Furthermore, they were able to mobilize enough people in a short time to quickly conquer these places, coming and going like the wind. It's impossible to determine their true identities and their next moves."

After the battle in Jiangzhou, the Tang imperial family had also been secretly investigating.

At the very least, the person who assisted Tang Xiatang and Lei Jun in attacking the Lin Clan's ancestral land in Jiangzhou was not one of their Confucian archers.

Nor was it someone from Shushan Peak.

To be precise, it was not someone openly affiliated with Shushan Peak.

And now, the battle in Jinzhou had confirmed this.

There might be a hidden force within and outside the Heavenly Masters' Mansion, and it was not to be underestimated.

To the extent that the Heavenly Masters' Mansion had essentially resolved the Jinzhou battle on their own, causing the Tang imperial family's plans to fall through.

Zhang Ying and the other high-ranking members of the Zhang-Tang imperial family began to re-evaluate the Heavenly Masters' Mansion.

They had supported the Heavenly Masters' Mansion to counterbalance the power of the aristocratic families, that was true.

But now, the Heavenly Masters' Mansion was making them feel uncertain...

"Back then, during the internal strife in Shushan Peak, it's highly possible that someone faked their death and went into hiding." Lu Zhen said slowly, "Perhaps these people have some plan involving the Heavenly Masters' Mansion. I believe that not only the Heavenly Masters' Mansion, but the entire Daoist sect may have undercurrents beneath the surface."

The Empress said, "There's no need to jump to conclusions. If you say there are undercurrents, then their emergence in Jiangzhou and Jinzhou was too early. Let's wait and see, and focus on gathering related information for now."

"Yes, Your Majesty," the four of them replied.

The Empress looked at the youngest among them and asked, "Xiao Qingjia, how is the investigation into the Pure Yang Palace going?"

The young man replied, "Your Majesty, we have some leads, but we haven't apprehended anyone yet."

He was a handsome and elegant man, but his body seemed frail.

He was Xiao Chunhui, a descendant of the Xiao Clan from beyond the frontier, and the current Headmaster of the Imperial College.

He had received the imperial decree and was specially permitted to enter the Ministry of Personnel and serve as a Chancellor, participating in political discussions.

As the imperial court expanded its influence in the face of setbacks suffered by several major aristocratic families, the Empress also made a big move to divide the power of the chancellors.

The establishment of the Ministry of Personnel was a sign of this.

The Empress's intelligence network was decentralized, usually managed by Chu Yu and Xiao Xueling.

Since both of them were not currently in the imperial capital, Xiao Chunhui was temporarily filling in for them.

His main responsibility was still as the Headmaster of the Imperial College.

But he would soon be stepping down.

The Empress and he had already selected a successor, and the transition would be smooth.

People said that Xiao Chunhui was quick-witted but had a weak body.

This was true. Aside from warriors and other cultivators with robust physiques, even compared to Confucian scholars who cultivated through chanting, Xiao Chunhui's body was much weaker.

However, it wasn't to the extent that he had to lie in bed all the time or gasp for breath after walking a few steps.

He appeared no different from an ordinary person, except for his pale complexion and slender build.

But he spoke calmly, "The latest information we have suggests that the traitor within the Pure Yang Palace may be someone else, not Elder Wang Xuan of the Vermilion Bird Peak, or at least, not only Wang Xuan."

"Oh?" Shangguan Qing, Zhang Ying, and Lu Zhen all turned their attention to him.

Xiao Chunhui continued, "Another person who is presumed dead is also worth noting—Elder Gu Han of the Black Tortoise Peak of the Pure Yang Palace."

"Is Gu Han still alive?" the Empress asked.

"We haven't found him yet, but there are many suspicious circumstances. Gu Han may not be dead," Xiao Chunhui replied.

Shangguan Qing frowned, "Did he steal someone's body?"

In this world of cultivation, there existed methods of stealing another's body or possessing them.

Generally, these methods were more common in the Southern Shaman Sect.

Especially the Gu and Zhu lineages, both of which had secret techniques in this regard.

The Xuehe lineage also had an extremely difficult-to-cultivate divine ability called Blood Godly Child, which had a similar technique. However, the conditions for this were even more stringent.

Strictly speaking, among the Shaman Sect lineages, only the Goddess lineage of Ge Po Mountain did not have such a technique.

As for the Ghost lineage's sacred ground, Jin Cheng Zhai, their technique was not about the ghost cultivator possessing an external target, but rather their partially refined yin souls, or in some cases, the ghost cultivator's spirit entering their own puppet corpse.

These techniques were often a last resort for cultivators whose physical bodies had been destroyed.

If one wanted to use them to impersonate someone else, it would be easy for high-realm cultivators to see through, leading to many inconveniences, and in serious cases, it could affect one's future cultivation progress.

There were very few lineages in the Great Tang Empire that possessed the technique of stealing or possessing bodies.

Generally, there was only one, the Dan Ding Sect of the Daoist tradition.

The Dan Ding Sect cultivators cultivated their bodies and their vitality together, not relying on external objects. They cultivated extremely robust and powerful bodies, as well as resilient and agile spirits.

Their spirits could travel far beyond their bodies.

At the same time, this gave them the ability to possess or steal bodies, especially after forming a Nascent Soul at the Seventh Heaven Realm, where this ability would become even stronger.

However, such behavior had been strictly forbidden by the Pure Yang Palace for many years, so it was rare.

But this was a matter of self-discipline, not because they were incapable of it.

"The supposedly dead Gu Han may still be alive." Shangguan Qing asked slowly, "What about Wang Xuan, who is presumed missing?"

Previous information had suggested that Wang Xuan had betrayed and sold out the Pure Yang Palace, colluding with demons to attack it.

But after the Pure Yang Palace fell, no one had seen Wang Xuan since.

If he was framed by someone else, then his current situation might be...

Xiao Chunhui said, "We found Wang Xuan's destroyed physical body, but we're not sure if his Nascent Soul escaped. We need to investigate further."

Upon hearing this, Shangguan Qing, Lu Zhen, and Zhang Ying all fell into deep thought.

The Empress instructed, "Investigate Wang Xuan and Gu Han. In addition, after this incident with the Pure Yang Palace, regardless of whether the related people are alive or dead, carefully examine them. As for the rest, we will discuss it after I arrive in Guanzhong and meet with Huang Zidao."

"Your Majesty, I have carried out your instructions." Xiao Chunhui replied.

After further discussion, the four subjects took their leave.

However, later that day, another person appeared before the Empress.

"Your Majesty, Elder Jingge is currently residing in His Highness Prince Zhao's mansion. Aside from their previous connections, there may be other underlying reasons." Xiao Chunhui spoke up.

Jingge was the title of Ye Moquan, the former clan head of the Ye Clan from Jinzhou.

After the battle in Jinzhou, Ye Moquan had left for Youzhou and taken up residence in Prince Zhao's mansion to avoid Wei Ancheng and Tang Xiaotang.

To a certain extent, this move was equivalent to publicly declaring their alliance.

Regardless of the truth behind this decision, on the surface, Prince Zhao Zhang Teng had maintained a distance from influential clans like the Ye Clan of Jinzhou and the Lin Clan of Youzhou.

Now, however, he had effectively turned towards them.

To the common folk, Prince Zhao was still a respected and venerable elder of the Great Tang Empire.

The Ye Clan of Jinzhou and the Lin Clan of Youzhou remained prominent and respected clans, pillars of the nation.

But to those in the know, this move held a different significance.

Prince Zhao's involvement began to come to light.

Even with the chaos in the northwest, it was hard to say if the current timing was appropriate, yet he still made this decision.

Aside from trying to protect Ye Moquan due to their close relationship, the imperial court couldn't help but speculate that Prince Zhao had gained something else.

"Continue to monitor the situation, handle minor matters as you see fit, and report any major developments to Chang'an," the Empress instructed.

"As you command, Your Majesty," Xiao Chunhui replied.

The Empress asked, "What is your opinion of the Heavenly Masters' Mansion's actions in Longhu Mountain?"

Xiao Chunhui answered, "Xu Yuanzhen's talent, strength, and reputation are well-deserved. Even if she stops progressing at her current level, she would still be the strongest practitioner the Heavenly Masters' Mansion has seen in at least a thousand years."

Moreover, given Xu Yuanzhen's talent, it was obvious that she would continue to improve.

"The only ones who can be compared to her are Tang Tianshi, who will also attain the Great Vehicle realm in the future, and Lei Jun, whom I also highly regard. However, he has made fewer public appearances, and based on what we've seen so far, he is not as formidable as Xu or Tang."

Xiao Chunhui paused to consider, "As for the Heavenly Masters' Mansion's hidden strengths, I share the same view as Her Royal Highness, the Grand Princess. Compared to the known power of the Longhu Mountain's masters, the Mansion's hidden potential is indeed surprising.

Logically, the battle between Li Wai and Xu Yuanzhen should have revealed everything, but now it seems that there are still many unknown factors."

This battle had essentially exposed all of the Ye Clan of Jinzhou's cards.

Furthermore, the Ye Clan had lost the battle.

Even if they hadn't lost everything, they had suffered heavy losses.

At the same time, the battle had also revealed some of the Heavenly Masters' Mansion's cards.

However, Xiao Chunhui was puzzled. If the Heavenly Masters' Mansion, or even the entire Daoist sect, had secret plans, why would they choose to expose themselves in the battles of Jiangzhou and Jinzhou? It seemed strange and unnecessary, and the outcome of these battles benefited both the Heavenly Masters' Mansion and the Tang imperial family.

"Are they trying to gain the trust of outsiders by revealing more than they intended? Do they actually possess even greater strength?" Xiao Chunhui couldn't understand their motives.

As the Empress had said, they would refrain from making judgments for now and continue to observe.

The Empress asked, "Did anyone from the Heavenly Masters' Mansion notice Ye Moquan's grand formation in Duanlong Gorge?"

Xiao Chunhui replied, "No one appeared to attack at the time, and afterwards, the Ye Clan removed the formation and withdrew, so it's hard to determine if anyone from the Heavenly Masters' Mansion or their associates was aware of it. However... I believe they knew about it."

Ye Moquan's formation had harnessed the earth veins' spiritual energy and was specifically targeted at the Tang imperial family, with no impact on the Heavenly Masters' Mansion.

The Tang imperial family had not taken any further action.

The battle at the Ye Clan's ancestral land in Jinzhou had already decided the outcome, and the formation in Duanlong Gorge became irrelevant.

Thus, the Tang imperial family also remained inactive.

The hidden pieces they had placed among the aristocratic clans needed to be carefully managed to keep their identities secret and ensure their continued usefulness in the future.

"Elder Jingge has passed on the position of clan head." Xiao Chunhui continued, "According to current information, he needs to rest for an extended period, but it's unclear if his injuries are severe or if he has other plans."

The Empress was not overly concerned, "We can ask Xu Yuanzhen about it once we're able to contact her."

Xiao Chunhui reported, "Your Majesty, I have another matter to report regarding the Southern Lin Clan. Yesterday, Lin Yuwei and Lin Jin Song gathered some of the clan's elite members and set out to sea."

The Empress inquired, "What are they up to?"

"It seems to be related to the Jiuxi Recluse, but the specifics are unclear. I have instructed our people to investigate further," Xiao Chunhui replied.

The Empress nodded.

The two continued their conversation, and after Xiao Chunhui finished his report, the Empress suddenly asked, "How is Meng Shaoji doing?"

"He hasn't had his breakthrough yet, and his state of mind is a bit unstable, but that's to be expected given the current situation. He remains diligent in his cultivation and is able to maintain himself," Xiao Chunhui replied.

He smiled and added, "Your Majesty, I believe he's ready."

The Empress said, "As Confucian cultivators, they need to accumulate a lot before they can make a breakthrough. With his talent, he has plenty of time, but the fire is not yet ripe."

The Empress wanted to cultivate him, but she hoped that he wouldn't be loyal to anyone, including herself or the Zhang-Tang imperial family... Xiao Chunhui sighed inwardly.

It was challenging to find the right timing for this.

Those who were close might develop a sense of intimacy, while those who were distant might harbor resentment.

However, as the Empress had said, Meng Shaoji was still young.

Aside from having time for his cultivation, as he grew older and gained more experience, his state of mind would become more stable and mature, making him less susceptible to outside influences.

Xiao Chunhui just hoped that their efforts wouldn't end up benefiting someone else.

..............................

Lei Jun would not choose to go to Changjie Island in the East Sea.

Why would anyone willingly go to such a dangerous place?

So, after finishing his business in Lan Yue Blessed Land, Lei Jun sent a sound transmission to Luo Haoran and then left Konglu Mountain, heading west towards Yuanzhou.

He arrived in the region of Yuanzhou.

And there, he began his search for Qingmei Creek.

PS1: 8k words per chapter

(End of Chapter)

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