Chapter 729: One Person Bears Their Own Deeds

Divine Dynasty, Jianyang Prefecture.

Before the long-empty mansion gate, a figure finally arrived once more.

Monk Zhikong pushed open the door, quite delighted: "My lord Shen has returned."

After parting at Nan Xumi, he had returned first to the Shen Zhai in Jianyang; if anyone came seeking the General of Nanyang, at least there would be someone to ask, unlike before when there was not a single person to speak with.

But even he, upon learning of the Puti Sect's plan, was still full of worry.

Now seeing this familiar black robe once more, he finally let out a breath of relief.

"How is the situation?"

"..."

Shen Yi walked slowly into the courtyard, shaking his head slightly.

Seeing this, the smile on Monk Zhikong's face gradually faded; he knew that whether my lord Shen had gone to Nan Xumi or rushed to the Eight Extremities Valley, he had encountered only Bodhisattvas and Immortal Venerables, the dangers of which need not be stated, yet the other party had always appeared calm and composed, so solemn as now was rare.

"Is there no hope left?"

Monk Zhikong forced a slight tug at the corners of his mouth.

In fact, anyone with even a slight understanding of the cultivation world, upon learning that the Three Sects intended to strike the Divine Dynasty, should have known the outcome would be difficult to change.

Since the Three Sects are the Immortal Court, their will can be equated with the Will of Heaven.

The Will of Heaven cannot be defied.

"That is not quite so."

Shen Yi arrived in the courtyard and exhaled a cloud of turbid air.

This journey to the Seven Sages' Marsh had at least revealed what kind of grand preparation those great sects had made to break through Da Nanzhou.

A third-rank powerhouse already possesses the strength to stir the winds and clouds of the world.

Once, a Seven Treasures Bodhisattva had openly come to Heshan; the experts of the Nanzhou Demon Suppression Bureau joined forces, and even mobilized imperial qi to suppress, yet could not stop him; the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva even personally arrived at Xishan Prefecture, severely injuring General Yan Lanting, then departed with a flourish.

Shenxu Laozu similarly possessed the strength to enter the Divine Dynasty unnoticed and assassinate me, the newly appointed General of Zhenan.

Of course, there are differences even among third-rank experts; not every demon lord possesses the strength of these Bodhisattvas and Immortal Venerables... but the problem is, without someone of the same realm intervening to counter them, the harm their various prefectures in the Divine Dynasty could cause would actually be the same.

Whether newly entered the third rank or having undergone several transformations, ordinary cultivators and living beings are but ants before them.

And according to the Puti Sect's original plan.

For such powerful great demons, they had prepared a full eight!

Among them were existences like Nan Huang who had reached the peak of the Nine-Nine Transformations.

Under such an offensive, the stone defenses Shen Yi had previously set up in Dananzhou were already as good as nonexistent; let alone blocking them, they could not even perceive the arrival of these demon lords.

But this trip was not in vain.

At least two spies were successfully sent in.

"..."

Shen Yi slightly clenched his fist; controlling information was only the first step, even if one knew the demon race's attack plan inside out, truly putting it into practice still required speaking with fists.

He closed his eyes, and in his mind appeared that indigo-colored mountain of flesh.

Do not think that when leaving, Shen Yi's attitude toward Nan Huang was extremely contemptuous; that was because he knew clearly that an old demon who had survived so long would never be such a fool as to turn against the Puti Sect over face.

What the other feared was the Puti Sect, feared the Great Self-Bodhisattva in Nan Xumi, and those high-and-mighty True Buddhas, absolutely not me, this Dragon-Suppressing and Tiger-Taming Bodhisattva.

Once the identity of a Bodhisattva was lost, Shen Yi racked his brains but could not think of how to deal with this great demon.

"No wonder..."

Shen Yi opened his eyes.

The Puti Sect dared to act against the True Gods because they were certain this plan would definitely break through Dananzhou.

In that case, requesting reinforcements from the Imperial Capital had probably become a pipe dream; the situation in the other great continents of the Divine Dynasty would likely be even worse.

"Has anyone come here recently?" Shen Yi turned back to look at Master Zhikong.

"General Yanlan came, but did not inquire about my lord Shen's condition; he simply stated that the situation in Dananzhou remains stable and asked you not to worry."

Monk Zhikong let out a bitter smile; if he had not followed my lord Shen to witness so much of the inside story, even he would have thought the situation was developing for the better.

After all, the Divine Dynasty had just issued the Demon-Slaying Decree, the strength of the Demon Suppression Bureau officials had doubled, and the demons had suffered setbacks one after another, remaining quiet for a long time.

"Please trouble Master to deliver this letter to General Yan."

Shen Yi took out a secret letter he had prepared long ago from his ring and handed it over, whispering a few words softly.

In any case, it never hurts to let everyone prepare in advance.

"This humble monk understands."

Monk Zhikong carefully placed the secret letter in his bosom, then immediately turned and left the Shen Zhai without delay.

He had begged for food in this world for many years; he could say his entire cultivation came from Li Min and the common people, and he did not understand why fellow disciples who also relied on the Divine Dynasty for cultivation could be so ruthless as to use the lives of these innocent people to forge their own so-called Great Dao.

Songfeng Prefecture.

Yang Mingli sat high in the upper seat, seriously reviewing the reports from various regions sent by his subordinates.

Lady Lady Feng Xi and Yan Lanting sat on the left and right; although this old gentleman still pretended to close his eyes and nap, at least he did not speak up to find fault again.

For a moment, the Demon Suppression Bureau of Dananzhou seemed to have returned to its former harmonious state.

"Hah."

After a long while, Yang Mingli rubbed his eye sockets, and on that gloomy face, a rare smile appeared.

Among the reports piled on the table, they were all good news; not a single demon disaster, nor even corresponding signs, as if those three great demon families and the original demons of the Divine Dynasty had all vanished together.

Seeing this, many titled generals became lively in a way they had not been for a long time.

"After the battle at Songfeng Prefecture, the reputation of my Divine Dynasty's General of Nanyang is enough to drive back the wolfish ambitions of those beasts; the Three Sects are also in constant internal strife, greatly weakened; the Divine Dynasty has hope to pacify the world!"

Hearing the discussion below, the old gentleman Yan Lanting finally raised his eyelids slightly.

Having been out of seclusion for so long, he had managed to grasp Shen Yi's deeds to about seventy or eighty percent.

The youth he had encountered by chance back then had long since become a figure renowned throughout Da Nanzhou; among the younger generation, the only ones capable of challenging him were the Dragon-Subduing and Tiger-Taming Great Ming King and the Taixu Danhuang.

Yet both of these two had gone missing during the matter of transmitting scriptures, and their whereabouts remain unknown to this day.

Thus, Shen Yi is the undisputed foremost figure of the younger generation.

With such strength, he certainly could not intimidate those third-rank experts, yet who among those who have ascended to the third rank would be willing to risk their own bodies and become a vanguard for others?

By common logic, this calamity should be considered quelled.

At this moment, the folded memorial on the table seemed to be verifying everyone's thoughts.

"Even if I do not like you, I must admit one thing: the stability of Da Nanzhou is indeed thanks to you."

Yang Mingli cast his gaze toward the right side.

Yan Lanting glanced over indifferently, too lazy to respond.

Only now did he realize the old man's vision was sharp; it was too late!

"..."

Seeing the old man's tsundere appearance, Yang Mingli shook his head lightly; he did not hold it against the other, after all, he was giving face to the General of Nanyang.

"By the way, has he returned?"

Seeing the atmosphere between these two mortal enemies finally ease somewhat, Lady Lady Feng Xi could not help but ask with a smile.

"I am not sure; we should just do our own jobs well."

Yang Mingli replied softly; during their last meeting at Jianyang Prefecture, he had already intended to hand over power to the General of Nanyang, but unfortunately, the other party was unwilling to accept it.

But in his heart, he still regarded the other as a reliable peer official, rather than the junior of the past.

Therefore, when Nanyang spoke, demanding absolute autonomy in action, Yang Mingli also managed to stop interfering, even personally writing a memorial to explain the situation to the imperial court on the other's behalf.

Just then, a high-pitched shout from a titled general at the door rang out: "A monk has arrived, delivering a secret letter from General Nanyang for my lord Yan to review!"

These words rang out.

In the crowd, the silent Ye Lan suddenly turned her head to look; the five fingers that had been tightly clutching her sleeve also quietly loosened slightly.

He has finally returned...

"Quickly invite the person in."

Lady Lady Feng Xi rose directly; in the current situation, a monk's identity could be described as extremely sensitive, but as long as the name Nanyang was mentioned, the situation would be completely different.

Soon, under the lead of that titled general, Monk Zhikong walked briskly into the main hall.

Facing the hand Yang Mingli extended, he bowed seriously, then turned and walked to the front of the old man on the right, took out the secret letter, and handed it over: "Please, my lord, review it."

"Hmph, hmph."

Yan Lanting raised his eyebrows in triumph, glanced at Yang Mingli, and only then reached out to take the secret letter.

Seeing the old man's childish appearance, Yang Mingli awkwardly withdrew his hand; he was not angry, merely staring tightly at the secret letter.

The other Zhan Yao Si officials, including Lady Lady Feng Xi, also looked over with a hint of expectation.

Who knows what kind of surprise this powerful General of Nanyang would bring to Da Nanzhou this time.

Only Ye Lan's expression changed slightly.

Based on her understanding of Shen Yi, the other party was actually a very contradictory person; regarding official matters, this newly promoted General Zhennan was so busy it seemed as if he never rested throughout the year, but regarding certain things, the other party was lazy to a certain degree.

For instance, returning to greet people and report safety was not really Shen Yi's style.

Before leaving, he had even been so cautious that he handed the Demon-Slaying Token to her for safekeeping...

Indeed, as the secret letter was opened.

Yan Lanting carefully read the contents; that old face, which had been holding a hint of tsundere pride, visibly sank.

Several large beads of sweat even seeped onto his forehead.

"What exactly is the situation?"

Yang Mingli sensed something was wrong and quickly walked out from behind the table.

"..."

After seeing Shen Yi state that he trusted him to handle this, Yan Lanting remained silent for a long time, then handed the secret letter to the other party.

The General Zhennan was already a figure standing at the very top of Da Nanzhou; they held the safety of an entire province and twenty-seven prefectures in their hands.

Yet now, a single letter caused two Generals Zhennan to reveal the same expression of horror.

The fingers holding the letter even trembled slightly: "What kind of joke is this, how is this possible!"

"Speak!" Lady Lady Feng Xi rebuked in a low voice; no matter how great the matter, there was no need to scare oneself; did she not see that below, many titled generals had all turned pale with fear?

"Eight third-rank Demon Venerables... even if the Puti Sect and the Sanxian Sect were as powerful as they are, where could they gather so many peerless great demons?"

Yang Mingli turned his body back, his voice sharp.

It was not that he did not trust the General of Nanyang; it was simply that the content on the letter was too bizarre and absurd.

Even if one counted all the retired Demon Venerables in Da Nanzhou, there was no such terrifying number.

"Hiss!"

Lady Lady Feng Xi bit her lip, her face suddenly turning pale.

After hesitating for a long time, she suddenly said: "The active ones are not that many, but what if we count those as well?"

Hearing this, both Yang Mingli and Yan Lanting suddenly looked over.

Those... referred to the lands of extreme evil guarded by the Righteous Gods.

"Impossible; the Righteous Gods are the incarnations of the Heavenly Dao's order, how could they possibly accompany the other two sects in committing such an act that violates heavenly laws?"

Yang Mingli immediately waved his sleeve to reject it, saying coldly: "Unless they have gone mad, daring to cause trouble right under the Righteous Gods' noses."

"Then how do you explain the content of this letter?" Lady Lady Feng Xi frowned and looked over.

"The letter... even with the General of Nanyang's unparalleled talent, he is still young; perhaps he also made a mistake in judgment."

Yang Mingli appeared stubborn, but in truth he simply felt the matter made no sense at all: "It is merely the loss of a batch of young disciples. Even if they still refuse to give up, there are many ways to proceed gradually with Xu Xu; why choose to take such a huge risk?"

"What is the reason?!"

The words echoed within the great hall.

Yang Mingli suddenly noticed that several people's expressions had changed, including Yan Lanting, Ye Lan, and that young monk in the hall.

Old Master Yan lowered his head, staring tightly at his palms.

He suddenly remembered the black dog he had seen back then in Jianyang Prefecture.

Ye Lan, meanwhile, remembered that Shenxu Laozu who had perished beneath the golden alms bowl.

Perhaps... these things were the reason that Lord Yang was puzzled about.

But the two of them remained silent without agreement.

Both clearly understood that once this news was spoken, Shen Yi would very likely go from being the chief meritorious official of the entire Da Nanzhou directly to becoming the sinner who stirred up the slaughter calamity.

"You... you still intend to deceive this old man until now?"

Yang Mingli extended his index finger, his entire body trembling: "This old man may have been a bit harsh, but having one heart directed toward the Divine Dynasty was never wrong. You, as colleagues, when have you ever trusted me even the slightest bit?"

Hearing this, Yan Lanting gritted his teeth. Even though he had been at odds with the other party for so many years, he deeply knew that for a General who guards the South, being distrusted by a colleague was a kind of vicious injury, even more severe than killing the other party.

But after hesitating for a long time, he remained silent and turned his face to the other side.

Ye Lan, meanwhile, tightly gripped the Demon-Slaying Token at his waist.

"You..."

Yang Mingli stumbled backward several steps, crashing into a table, his eyes already filled with bloodshot veins.

Just at this moment, among the many Demon-Slaying Si officials who were in shock.

Monk Zhikong took a few more steps forward.

Recalling Lord Shen's instruction before his departure.

He sighed, slowly raised his eyes: "General Nanyang once, outside of Dananzhou, slew the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva of the Puti Sect, and within Jianyang Prefecture, shattered the Dao-body of Shen Shan Laozu."

"These should be the reasons that Lord Yang is confused about."

"The contents of the letter contain not a single false word; I beg all of you to stop the argument and prepare early."

Having spoken, facing Yan Lanting's murderous gaze and Ye Lan's hand suddenly resting on the sword hilt, Monk Zhikong pressed his palms together and bowed to everyone once more.

These words were Lord Shen's instruction.

That existence who, upon first entering the Divine Dynasty, could guard twenty-seven prefectures, never thought of shirking responsibility.

(End of this chapter)