Chapter 260: Heavenly Disaster and Human Misfortune

Zhang Jian could say nothing more at this point.

Qi Yuanjia was also too unlucky—this Bai Shui water region was so wide, yet the Zi Yun Qiu Long didn't flee elsewhere but instead happened to run into the water area where their group was.

This was also an undeserved disaster.

Zhang Jian then mentioned Qi Yuanjia's drowning incident.

"What?"

Bai Nu's expression turned solemn as he immediately communicated with the power of the Bai Shui Divine Realm, only to see a divine light flash upon the water's surface, and then pale-faced, lifeless figures rose from the water.

There were also many fragments of broken boats.

Zhang Jian waved his hand and already saw Qi Yuanjia's corpse, entangled in a large mass of aquatic plants, with a large fishing net still on his body, his expression horrifying.

His face was filled with resentment.

Gazing at this scene, Zhang Jian's eyes filled with sorrow, and the Qing Lian Pure Soul Mantra appeared deep in his palm, purifying the vengeful qi in his soul to prevent him from becoming a water ghost and harming his family.

"What a pity!"

Zhang Jian thought to himself, this fourth uncle of his was somewhat unreliable, often frequenting pleasure quarters, but to meet such an end was truly too tragic.

Seeing this, Bai Nu said: "A Yu, this matter also involves my fault—otherwise, they would not have met with accident due to our conflict..."

Zhang Jian shook his head.

"Father-in-law, this is not your fault—it was an accident, and also the doing of that evil dragon!"

……

Haojing City, inside the imperial palace

In the Zhonghe Palace, Qi Yuzhu was weeping with tears like pear blossoms in rain, her beautiful eyes swollen from crying, having just lost a close relative, and then losing another kin the same day—how could she not be heartbroken?

Emperor Jingwu stood beside her, speaking softly to comfort her, his brow furrowed, clearly not having expected that merely agreeing to slightly transfer the dragon vein's killing aura and evil power would actually bring disaster upon the empress's family.

If this continues, it will not be a good relationship with that Zhang scholar, but rather enmity.

Half an hour later, Qi Yuzhu fell asleep, and Emperor Jingwu slowly rose, gazing at her with eyes that held a hint of affection.

He liked Qi Yuzhu's lively nature—this empress was youthful, vibrant, full of whimsy, and over the past half year had brought much joy to his otherwise unchanging life.

This also helped Emperor Jingwu, who had just lost his daughter, emerge from that period of fatigue.

Emperor Jingwu still harbored some feelings.

Outside the Zhonghe Palace, Chao Mu wore purple robes, his countenance stern and his expression somewhat gloomy at this moment.

He had only recently returned to the imperial palace.

For the past year, he had been chasing the Instantaneous Demon Lord all the way from the depths of Da Qian into the heart of Bei Chu, several times nearly catching him, only for the demon lord to escape using his innate divine abilities.

Moreover, the Hundred Flowers Princess had also gone missing midway, which made Chao Mu extremely furious.

At the palace gate, Emperor Jingwu could not help but ask:

"Grand Master, given that the Qi family has suffered successive misfortunes, is this related to the damage of the dragon vein?"

Chao Mu heard the words and lightly nodded.

"Your Majesty, when you married the empress, you should have waited for this old minister to return and consulted me first!"

Chao Mu also felt somewhat helpless.

Dong Jue Daoist, the empress dowager knows only one thing and not the other, does not understand the details of the dragon vein, and now has only made things worse by overreaching.

Emperor Jingwu then said: "Grand Master, is there now any remedy?!"

Chao Mu pondered, then after a moment spoke slowly.

"Yes!"

"Oh?" Emperor Jingwu's eyes lit up as he looked toward Chao Mu.

Chao Mu spoke softly.

"Depose the empress! Simply need to cast the empress into the cold palace, strip her of her position, and thus possibly avoid the direct impact of the dragon vein's evil power!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingwu was somewhat speechless.

That would mean turning against the Qi family and that Zhang scholar.

Emperor Jingwu let out a light sigh, and the two slowly left the Zhonghe Palace, but on the way, Emperor Jingwu could not help but ask again.

"Grand Master, in your view, does the empress possess the phoenix destiny?"

"I have heard that since ancient times, Fengyang Commandery has had an excellent feng shui layout passed down through the ages, and at intervals, a phoenix maiden is born—people all say the empress is such a phoenix maiden?"

Chao Mu glanced at Emperor Jingwu.

After a moment, he lightly shook his head.

"Your Majesty, the empress does not possess the phoenix destiny—such rumors need not be fully believed; every commandery in Da Qian has such legends, even inside and outside Haojing City, but most are baseless!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingwu was startled, then after a moment let out a light sigh—actually, the Bureau of Heavenly Observations had already charted Qi Yuzhu's fate half a year ago and found no phoenix destiny, yet Emperor Jingwu still clung to hope.

Returning to the Jingtai Hall, Emperor Jingwu now gazed at the memorials piled like mountains before the imperial camphor table, and again felt a headache coming on.

Even at this moment, that Bodhi Enlightenment Diagram could not relieve him.

He sat in silence for a while, then slowly said:

"Grand Master, the region around Haojing has suffered drought for two consecutive years, and now the court is unstable both inside and out—if this drought is not resolved, it may only bring forth greater heavenly disasters!"

"Now the National Master has no solution either—do you have a method to resolve the drought around Haojing City?!"

Upon hearing this, Chao Mu fell slightly silent.

The drought around Haojing City, he had also sensed—its root lay in the forbidden object currently being refined within the dragon vein.

And this time, he had actually 'found' several treasures capable of suppressing the evil qi, which could slightly ease the drought, but for these treasures, he had offended several powerful sects.

Inside, there is gain and loss—he cannot calculate it precisely, but he can be certain that once heaven and earth collapse, his future troubles will also be great.

Fortunately, he had long prepared himself for a desperate gamble.

If unsuccessful, then become benevolent.

If he cannot cleave heaven and earth, attain the Dao and become an immortal, then he has no need for such longevity and carefree ease.

"This matter, your servant will find a way!"

Zhaomu agreed, but then added.

"Once the Minister of Agriculture returns to Haojing, Your Majesty still needs to devise a plan, to test the Minister of Agriculture's attitude!"

Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingwu's eyes widened slightly, a trace of weariness flashing in their depths, and he closed his eyes.

……

Fengyang Commandery

After Zhang Jian finished arranging the funeral affairs, he remained in Fengyang Commandery for several more days.

Zhang Jian used his authority to exchange for a marvelous method of qi fortune from the Tongshan Dao lineage, setting up a great feng shui formation for his father-in-law Qi Yuansi's family; besides this, Zhang Jian then stayed in the Dragon Palace for two days.

Primarily, he inquired about matters concerning dragon clan cultivation.

Zhang Yi awakened his dragon clan bloodline; many taboos and weaknesses are known only to the dragon clan, and these he needs to understand in detail.

Furthermore, he expounded the Dao for Zhang Yi, supplementing his cultivation methods prior to Foundation Establishment.

Zhang Yi now specializes in the Soul-Seeding Technique, to some extent already leaning toward the Ghost Dao.

Zhang Jian does not hold him to high standards; as long as Foundation Establishment is achieved, once Foundation Establishment is successful and magical power is cultivated, future years can be sought to transform into ghosts and gods.

After transformation into ghosts and gods, whether entering the Mountain God Bureau of the Fengling Mountain deity or the divine bureau of the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the well, one can obtain rank and re-enter the path of cultivation.

Since there has been more than half a teacher's bond, Zhang Jian is willing to bestow upon him a share of fortune.

……

On this day, Zhang Jian brought Qi Yuhua from the lower reaches of the Bai River, once again heading toward the Grand Canal, but while traveling along the canal's route, he suddenly saw an omen in the southwest sky!

Red light pierced the heavens, as if a great fire burned the wilderness!

It seemed as if boundless red light burst forth, a vast evil qi surging straight toward heaven and earth.

Above the Grand Canal, Zhang Jian gazed upon this scene, also furrowing his brow deeply, feeling an extremely hot power erupting from the evil qi.

"Corpse qi—could it be that a Jiangshi has been born?"