Chapter 88: Two Troubles, Best Eliminated
Chapter 88: Two Troubles, Best Eliminated
From a distance, Luo Haoran's expression was conflicted and pained, torn between two choices.
Perhaps he hadn't realized it at first, but now he was aware that his fellow sect members were trapped within the grand formation.
With his current strength and cultivation, he couldn't directly save Xia Qing and the others from the array.
Moreover, if he left the crevices in the rocks, the bloody water would gush out onto the ground.
However, if the bloody water wasn't released, Xia Qing and the others might not be able to hold on for much longer.
Fang Lu remained calm as she observed, "Ten Senior Brother's words aren't unreasonable. The elders of our clan have considered the Celestial Master's Mansion and the Li family of Xinzhou comprehensively.
If it's not absolutely necessary, we shouldn't make any drastic moves. Isn't the current situation just fine? Your vengeance has been fulfilled, and we don't have any troubles."
Fang Mingyuan scoffed, "Ten Senior Brother is now solely focused on being the Abbot of Chongjiandan. He's long forgotten his own surname! He doesn't even consider that if it weren't for his surname Fang, even if he could enter the Longhushan sect, how could he possibly become the true disciple of the Celestial Master?"
"You also said that Ten Senior Brother doesn't have it easy, giving up the life of the tenth young master of the Fang family to become a Taoist priest," Fang Lu said with a slight shake of her head.
She smiled faintly, "Moreover, Ten Senior Brother's words aren't wrong. Indeed, this is a crucial time for managing the Longhushan Celestial Master's Mansion.
Although Ten Senior Brother's foundation is still shallow, he must proceed step by step and first ensure the positions of the Li family's young Celestial Master and the Purple Yang Elder, who are friendly to our clan."
She asked Fang Mingyuan, "After the death of Qingfeng Celestial Master, who do you think is the most promising candidate to compete for the new Celestial Master position in the Li family?"
Fang Mingyuan pondered, "The Grand Elder Li Song has the qualifications, seniority, and strength, but he is getting on in years, and his junior generation is too thin. This lineage is either too old or too young.
So it should be the young Celestial Master Li Zhenxuan, but his cousin, Li Hongyu, has always been quite ambitious regarding the Celestial Master position. Conveniently, the Celestial Master's sword and robe are in the hands of these two people.
However, the sudden death of the Qingfeng Celestial Master will likely stir ambitions among the non-Li descendants in the Celestial Master's Mansion."
"Then Li Song, Li Hongyu, Li Ziyang, and Li Zhenxuan will immediately unite, and with the Celestial Master's robe and sword in their possession, the Celestial Master's Mansion will undergo another Lee outsider struggle, which is acceptable to our clan," Fang Lu said with a smile.
Fang Mingyuan hummed lightly, "Qingfeng Celestial Master was too soft-hearted. Otherwise, how could Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang have gotten the opportunity to rise?"
Fang Lu said, "Qingfeng Celestial Master may have had his considerations, and from another perspective, the Li family has been making progressive moves as well.
During the internal strife back then, many non-Li elders in the Celestial Master's Mansion perished, and the Li family seized the opportunity to establish that the Thunder Law of the Three Caverns and Three Realms Scripture, which is ranked first among the scriptures, would henceforth only be passed down to those with the Li surname. That was a good start.
As for Xu Yuanzhen and Tang Xiaotang, they are both exceptionally talented. Unless they are eliminated early, they will rise elsewhere even if they don't enter the Celestial Master's Mansion. There's no point in dwelling on what has already happened. We should focus on the present."
She pointed to the distance, "Regarding the dispute between Li Zhenxuan and Li Hongyu, although Li Hongyu is strong, she has never been well-regarded.
Look, although Luo Haoran's master isn't a high-ranking elder of Longhushan, he is quite well-connected among the non-Li elders of Longhushan.
Now, due to Luo Haoran's connection, Li Hongyu's favored disciple, Xia Qing, has died, which will add fuel to the fire between her and the non-Li descendants of the Celestial Master's Mansion."
She smiled at Fang Mingyuan, "Some people are more useful alive, while others are more useful dead."
Fang Mingyuan said, "I still feel that we're letting him off too easily."
Fang Lu said, "I've made some inquiries about this Luo Haoran's character. Think about it, being torn between moral duty and the bonds of sect members, having to sacrifice one to save the other, that's probably more painful for him than death.
Fang Mingyuan nodded, his expression softening as he considered this. "You're right."
Letting go of his personal grudges, he shifted his thoughts elsewhere and turned to Fang Lu, "But if we're talking about adding fuel to the fire between Li Hongyu and the outsiders of the Heavenly Masters Mansion, Luo Haoran and his master might not be enough."
Fang Lu nodded in agreement. "In matters like these, it's best to take advantage of coincidences, ensuring we don't implicate ourselves. It's ideal if we can kill two birds with one stone."
"If we're talking about adding fuel to the fire, then Yuan Mo Bai, Yao Yuan, and Shangguan Ning carry more weight than Luo Haoran's master."
Fang Mingyuan mused, "Let's look for another opportunity. I recall seeing Yuan Mo Bai's disciple, Lei Jun, Yao Yuan's disciple, Chen Yi, and even Shangguan Ning's nephew, Shangguan Hong, earlier."
The siblings discussed this passionately.
Lei Jun, who had been listening quietly from the back, confirmed his suspicions.
Yes, they were indeed two troublemakers.
So...
Lei Jun didn't reveal himself.
Instead, he quietly retreated a few more steps, observing the surrounding terrain.
The surging tide of blood water was receding, and the momentum of the Bloody River towards the Eight Desolates Blood River Array had lessened.
The path leading to the Eight Desolates Blood Cave remained quiet and serene.
Lei Jun descended into the river channel and approached the Eight Desolates Blood River Array from the other side, pasting a large number of Blazing Flame Talismans and Linked Blazing Flame Talismans on the rock wall.
Then, with the Five Thunder Talismans, he created a fireball.
"Boom!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The chain of explosions directly collapsed a section of the rock layers in the underground palace! The already unstable Eight Desolates Blood River Array immediately tilted and collapsed.
Lei Jun quietly hid to the side as the Soil-Creating Flag supported a corner of the cave, preventing a complete collapse.
On the other side, the blood water in the Eight Desolates Blood River Array found an outlet and didn't spill onto the ground. Instead, it flowed out through the gap that Lei Jun had blasted open, countering the Bloody River.
The river channel instantly churned with boiling blood water.
On the other side, Luo Haoran, who had been holding back the blood, felt the pressure ease, and he was astonished by the development.
Xia Qing and the others, who were already exhausted and on the verge of losing consciousness in the blood river, felt their spirits lift, though they were perplexed by the turn of events.
The Fang siblings were left dumbfounded.
Fang Lu snapped out of her surprise. "Someone else has arrived from the other side. Luo Haoran and Xia Qing are lucky to be alive."
Fang Mingyuan frowned. "Are we just going to let him off the hook?"
Fang Lu pulled him along. "We have plenty of time. We'll find another opportunity later. For now, let's leave without revealing ourselves."
The siblings retreated.
However, the blood river in the channel behind them was in a state of violent collision and turbulence, and the Fang siblings dared not approach it lightly.
Fortunately, there was another channel on the other side, where the blood river flowed more calmly and seemed less dangerous.
Fang Lu and Fang Mingyuan quickly rushed into it.
In the shaking and vibrating underground palace, Lei Jun reappeared, watching their backs disappear into the quiet and deep cave.
...Miss and Young Master Fang, farewell.
Killing without getting your hands dirty?
Of course... No, that's not right.
Killing is bad.
I'm a good person, so I just do good deeds, like saving my fellow sect members.
Where the Fang siblings went was their own choice, and I didn't even exchange a word with Young Master Fang or Miss Fang.
However, when it comes to moral dilemmas and ethical choices, it's annoying when some people like to interrogate others about their humanity.
In this situation, if there's an opportunity, the best outcome is...
The one who sets the trap should be the one to get hit by the trolley... Lei Jun calmly turned away.
(End of Chapter)
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