Chapter 407: Conspiracy [Monthly Ticket Bonus, Combined Chapter]

Act at your discretion!

Seeing these four characters, Li Rui's pupils contracted slightly.

"Act at your discretion" seems ordinary.

But in truth, it holds great significance.

The Holy Emperor has plainly granted him the authority of an imperial envoy in just a few words.

This means Li Rui holds absolute authority over the pacification of Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

An imperial envoy holds no official rank.

Yet local officials must treat him with utmost caution, for he represents the Holy Emperor.

Thus, though rankless, he can effortlessly mobilize immense power.

Li Rui's lips curled slightly upward.

With the Holy Emperor's edict, the matters ahead will be far simpler.

The next morning.

Li Rui rode out of the city with Wei Ming and Tan Hu.

They arrived at Changqing Peak that same day.

Life remained leisurely.

Though Li Rui had received the Holy Emperor's edict, he did not rush to seek out Tian Niu Zhu Ha, but continued his cultivation as usual.

Days passed.

He waited a full month.

Only then did he slowly descend the mountain and arrive at one corner of Ten Thousand Mountains.

When he reached an open area, he saw before him a crimson toad, one man tall.

Clearly.

This was Tian Niu Zhu Ha's transformed form.

Otherwise, if it revealed its true body, it could be seen from miles away.

This was his first true meeting with Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

Li Rui's lips curled slightly upward.

He had heard that the disciple named Song Ming had died under a plausible pretext, with no one suspecting him.

Today, Tian Niu Zhu Ha had deliberately shrunk itself to meet him.

A demon that understands human affairs.

Rare.

Li Rui had dealt with too many demonic beasts, all of them arrogant and unruly; few were like this giant toad.

"Why are you only here now?"

Tian Niu Zhu Ha grumbled.

This day, it had waited with unbearable impatience.

It felt like each day dragged on like a year.

Who could endure even a single day in Zi Jin Palace?

Demons can waste time easily, and time passes quickly—but when hope appears, the suffering resumes, and time slows.

During this period,

Even its favorite Zi Yan Ting tasted bland.

Li Rui smiled faintly: "I told you, this matter is difficult—it cannot be accomplished in a moment."

Tian Niu Zhu Ha pursed its lips.

But its eyes brightened.

When Xue Ying Lao Zu had tried to capture him, it had already learned that Li Rui was cautious; when he said it couldn't be done quickly,

It meant it was already done!

Tian Niu Zhu Ha hurriedly spoke: "Hehe, Brother Li, give me a straight answer."

Li Rui calmly took a letter from his sleeve.

But he did not show it to Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

"This is the Holy Emperor's edict. His Majesty has agreed: if you sincerely submit, you shall be appointed River God of Qinghe."

Upon hearing "River God of Qinghe,"

Tian Niu Zhu Ha immediately became displeased.

Though its only wish was to live a quiet life, not be treated as a mount,

To it, Qinghe was nothing but a tiny worm.

It had heard the current River God of Qinghe was a little mud eel.

Just as Tian Niu Zhu Ha prepared to argue, Li Rui shifted tone: "Brother Frog, I too think the position of Qinghe River God is too humble. That's why I've fought for you—but the court has its rules. You are a surrendered general; too high a rank would anger certain parties, making it difficult for His Majesty."

"Unless—"

Tian Niu Zhu Ha knew what Li Rui was about to say was the crux of this meeting.

Li Rui narrowed his eyes slightly:

"Unless Brother Frog can earn merit to offset your past."

Tian Niu Zhu Ha's mouth widened into a broad grin.

It understood: the Yu Kingdom court wanted it to act against the remnants of Zi Jin Palace—to make it a traitor.

No, it had already defected.

It didn't care about that.

"Easy."

"Brother Li, tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Li Rui chuckled.

Tian Niu Zhu Ha was a second-rank demon beast; in the past, it would have called him a mere ant. Now, calling him "brother" came so naturally.

The more he looked, the more he liked Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

Such a flexible, adaptable demon beast was hard to find.

It was precisely this nature that made Li Rui consider brokering a connection.

Li Rui cleared his throat: "Brother Frog, you know Xue Ying's gang and I have a grudge over a treasure. I'm a petty man—I must avenge this, and I must reclaim what was taken."

Tian Niu Zhu Ha's smile deepened.

It had already guessed Li Rui would say this.

'They say Yu Kingdom officials are all petty—turns out it's true.'

Though thinking this, it spoke more eagerly: "Brother Li, rest assured—I'll handle this myself."

Li Rui nodded in satisfaction.

The Qian Hun Banner was deliberately discarded by him.

But the grudge over the stolen treasure remained etched in his mind.

The grudge over the stolen treasure!

He had tampered with the Qian Hun Banner.

Thus, he could sense that, after so long, Xue Ying Lao Zu had made no progress toward refining it.

But he dared not underestimate this renowned second-rank powerhouse.

If too much time passed, Xue Ying Lao Zu might erase his traces and fully refine the Qian Hun Banner.

Then, when he realized it too late, the old demon might turn on him again.

Tian Niu Zhu Ha's arrival presented the perfect opportunity.

"Brother Frog, in three days, I'll send someone to meet you. How much merit you earn depends on your sincerity."

Li Rui smiled warmly.

"Got it, got it."

Tian Niu Zhu Ha nodded vigorously, then added: "Brother Li, you've got to give me a direction—I need something to aim for."

It knew humans too well.

Li Rui was hiding something.

What if, after it earned merit, it was only rewarded with a position barely better than Qinghe River God? That would be a terrible loss.

Some things were better spoken plainly.

Li Rui's smile widened.

The more intelligent Tian Niu Zhu Ha was, the more confident he felt in its execution.

He did not speak outright, but slowly unfolded the Holy Emperor's edict, revealing two characters: "Chijiang."

Upon seeing "Chijiang,"

Tian Niu Zhu Ha perked up instantly.

Chijiang was a great river of the Yu Kingdom; the River God of Chijiang held exalted status. If it could claim that position, its prestige would rival its former role as a pillar of Zi Jin Palace.

'I found the right person.'

Tian Niu Zhu Ha burst into laughter.

It had read human histories thoroughly—it knew well that in matters of surrender, the one who brokers the connection mattered most.

Some national generals, after surrendering, were given idle posts and died in gloom.

Others, by contrast, rose with the tide, wielding overwhelming power.

The difference lay largely in the identity of the speaker.

Li Rui pleased him greatly.

"Relax, everything follows Brother Li's lead."

Li Rui: "Alright, wait for my message."

With that said.

He turned and left.

Soon.

Provincial Military Commander Zhou Dinghai will arrive in Ten Thousand Mountains with elite troops, and together with Tian Niu Zhu Ha, who will act as an inside agent, they will strike from within and without.

The Purple Gold Palace will suffer heavy losses.

Ten Thousand Mountains.

In a hidden cave.

Blood Shadow Ancestor sat cross-legged atop a stone platform, his gaze cold and sinister.

"Damn it!"

"Where did things go wrong?"

His roars echoed through the cave.

Since acquiring the Thousand Souls Banner, he had been in seclusion.

Yet years had passed.

He had made not the slightest progress in forging the Thousand Souls Banner; each time he tried to subdue the vengeful spirits within, his soul was repelled.

Those spirits were determined to die rather than submit.

But if he killed them all, the Thousand Souls Banner would be useless.

Blood Shadow Ancestor took a deep breath.

"Don't rush."

"According to the scripture, this step is the most difficult; once these spirits are subdued, the rest will become much simpler."

Just as he was about to resume forging the Thousand Souls Banner—

A voice from outside the cave came from a Purple Gold Palace disciple.

"Ancestor, the person you're seeking has arrived."

Blood Shadow Ancestor narrowed his eyes upon hearing this.

He tucked away the Thousand Souls Banner, then stepped out.

Finally, he had found another Wan Fadian disciple.

"You are Qi Ying?"

Outside the cave, a young man in white robes smiled warmly at Blood Shadow Ancestor.

Blood Shadow Ancestor: "An emissary of Wan Fadian?"

"Emissary is too grand a title—I'm merely a member of Wan Fadian."

A flicker of surprise crossed Blood Shadow Ancestor's eyes.

Such humility from a celestial disciple—he had never seen the like.

"I'm Ji Lei. May I ask if Senior Si is here?"

The young man named Ji Lei asked.

Hearing "Senior Si," Blood Shadow Ancestor understood Ji Lei was referring to Si Feng, who had been captured and taken to the capital.

He had originally ordered his men to secretly preserve any Wan Fadian celestial disciples.

Yet Ji Lei had come to him on his own.

But his strength seemed ordinary.

He was not like Si Feng or Sheng Dao Ren, whose souls were clouded—he was genuinely only second-rank in cultivation, as evident from his address of Si Feng as "senior."

Blood Shadow Ancestor narrowed his eyes slightly, yet replied:

"Master Si was betrayed and is now imprisoned in the Black Prison of the capital."

Upon hearing this,

Ji Lei's expression changed, and he muttered: "Trouble. This is problematic."

He then added: "Brother Blood Shadow, I will report this to the sect immediately—there must be a way to resolve it."

Joy flashed in Blood Shadow Ancestor's eyes.

If this young man could contact Wan Fadian from the higher realm, the chance of rescuing Si Feng increased dramatically.

"Thank you, Emissary."

With that,

Blood Shadow Ancestor personally escorted Ji Lei into the cave.

Inside lay a palace.

Though the Purple Gold Palace had declined, its hospitality remained unchanged.

Several graceful young maidens quickly surrounded the young man.

Soon,

Languorous music filled the palace.

"General Zhou."

Li Rui quickened his pace to meet the group arriving from Qinghe County.

Nie Siming and Yuan Xiong were among them.

Leading them was Provincial Military Commander Zhou Dinghai.

Indeed, Li Rui had directly summoned this General of Floating Waves.

Such was the power of an imperial envoy.

Zhou Dinghai looked at Li Rui and smiled approvingly: "Li Da Ren, you truly have talent—I didn't misjudge you."

Yu State had long suffered from covert attacks by Purple Gold Palace remnants.

Li Rui's successful defection of Tian Niu Zhu Ha, once one of the Three Pillars of the Purple Gold Palace, would enable a devastating inside-out strike, exacting a heavy toll on the remnants and deterring others.

A great achievement.

Li Rui was still his subordinate.

A subordinate's merit was his own merit.

Zhou Dinghai naturally grew fonder of Li Rui.

At that moment,

Three figures emerged.

They were the three disciples of Qingding the Great True Person.

Li Rui introduced them: "General Zhou, these three are disciples of Qingding the Great True Person: Daoist Xuan Yu, Daoist Chun Xu, and Daoist Zi Yang. They have joined us to suppress the Purple Gold Palace remnants."

Zhou Dinghai bowed: "Master Qingding's righteousness—I will report it to His Majesty."

Daoist Xuan Yu, holding a fishing rod, chuckled: "The Purple Gold Palace disrupts heaven and earth—everyone must destroy it. To lend a hand is a blessing for our Qingwei Sect."

The Yu State court was troubled by the Purple Gold Palace remnants.

So too was the Qingwei Sect.

Upon hearing that Yu State's court planned to act against the Purple Gold Palace, Daoist Xuan Yu personally brought his two junior brothers to assist.

Chun Xu had long hated the Purple Gold Palace remnants.

He urged: "Time is critical—we must act at once."

"Agreed. Let's go."

Zhou Dinghai nodded, glancing at Li Rui.

Li Rui understood at once.

He immediately led the group deep into Ten Thousand Mountains.

They walked for a full hour.

Only then did they reach a corner of Ten Thousand Mountains.

This place had been rarely visited by humans, nearly devoid of any trace of mankind.

It appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary small valley.

Yet Daoist Xuan Yu let out a soft exclamation.

"An exceptionally sophisticated array."

Had Li Rui not pointed it out, even he would have missed the illusionary barrier concealed here.

"No wonder we never found it."

Chun Xu's eyes gleamed with excitement.

Kill!

Many Qingwei Sect disciples had died in Purple Gold Palace attacks—he had long held back his rage. Previously, the enemy was hidden while they were exposed; now the tide had turned, and he could no longer contain his bloodlust.

To avenge past humiliations.

Li Rui spoke now: "Tian Niu Zhu Ha is already waiting inside the array. When I shatter this jade talisman, it will sense the signal and open the barrier."

Upon hearing this.

Everyone's eyes lit up.

If we could silently break the formation, we could catch the Purple Gold Palace off guard.

Li Rui took a jade talisman from his sleeve.

He applied slight pressure.

A crisp cracking sound echoed as the jade talisman shattered into fragments in his hand.

Moments passed.

Indeed, one corner of the formation was lifted open.

Seeing this, everyone grew even more excited.

Zhou Dingting did not rush in; his eyes glowed with a faint blue light. After a full quarter-hour, he spoke: "No ambushes. Prepare to move."

A minor general from An Nan Town promptly flattered:

"Only General Zhou could think so thoroughly."

Clearly,

Zhou Dingting did not fully trust Tian Niu Zhu Ha.

If Tian Niu Zhu Ha turned traitor and the formation held hidden forces, they would suffer heavy casualties tonight.

What Zhou Dingting had just used was a special eye technique.

It could briefly reveal the scene within the formation.

The group immediately moved into action.

All were elite among elites, each at least a Primordial Qi cultivator; they became fleeting shadows, vanishing into the opened corner of the formation in the blink of an eye.

Upon entering,

They saw a crimson toad, one man tall, grinning at them.

Zhou Dingting nodded approvingly at Tian Niu Zhu Ha: "Brother Zhu Ha, you act with great righteousness. The Emperor will surely reward your merit."

Tian Niu Zhu Ha's grin stretched nearly to his ears:

"I've lived in Yu Kingdom for years, and I've held back several river breaches."

Hearing this,

Zhou Dingting exclaimed in surprise: "Was it you who stopped the Jiangzhou dike collapse thirty-one years ago?"

Tian Niu Zhu Ha: "Indeed, it was this frog."

Zhou Dingting clapped and chuckled: "So it truly is you, Brother Zhu Ha. To have such a benevolent River God is a blessing for our great Yu."

The man and the spirit praised each other for some time.

Chun Xuzi could no longer bear it and urged: "Time is short. Let's get moving."

"True."

"That blood shadow is right there. This frog will catch him and make him dance for His Majesty!"

The once-quiet valley suddenly erupted into chaos.

Yu Kingdom and Qing Wei Sect's experts had already struck.

Xuan Yu Daoist swept his hundred-zhang fishing rod, and vast swathes of buildings turned to ash; countless Purple Gold Palace elders and disciples died in an instant.

"Zhou Dingting!"

"Xuan Yu!"

Xue Ying the Ancient, who was refining the Thousand Souls Banner, heard the commotion.

He stepped out.

And saw Zhou Dingting and Xuan Yu Daoist slaughtering without mercy.

In an instant,

Half the Purple Gold Palace's palaces collapsed together.

Xue Ying the Ancient let out a long howl.

His body turned into a cloud of blood mist, rushing toward Zhou Dingting.

The two Sky Phenomenon experts immediately clashed.

The battle raged, darkening heaven and earth.

At the other end,

Two shadowy figures flashed past, darting into the cave where Xue Ying the Ancient lay.

In the blink of an eye,

Li Rui and Tian Niu Zhu Ha appeared inside the cave.

Tian Niu Zhu Ha chuckled:

"Brother Li, take whatever you want—no need to be polite. I'll guard this place; even Xue Ying can't get in."

"Don't worry—I won't see a thing that happens in this cave."

Seeing Tian Niu Zhu Ha so considerate,

Li Rui's lips curled into a satisfied smile.

"Then I'm in your debt, Frog Brother."

Tian Niu Zhu Ha indeed raised a barrier, severing spiritual sense from the cave.

Li Rui casually tossed another six-grade Spirit-Sealing Talisman—bought at great cost from Qing Wei Sect—from his sleeve, finally feeling at ease.

He closed his eyes and sensed slightly.

His right hand shot up and tore at the empty air before him.

A white banner appeared before him.

Li Rui's smile widened.

Xue Ying the Ancient had hidden well—but unfortunately, his soul was linked to the Thousand Souls Banner, so he could not hide it.

In an instant,

He re-refined the Thousand Souls Banner.

It shrank into a small flag and flew into his sleeve.

Xue Ying the Ancient had spent years failing to refine it—he had done it in a single breath!

(End of Chapter)