[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t":3,"chapter-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-84":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Living Among All Heavens, Achieving Immortality Through Merit",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2323652,4545,"Chapter 84: The Mastermind Gets Busy","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-84",84,"\u003Cp>“Shangguan Danfeng” explained to everyone that because Gu Qing had kidnapped Huo Tianqing, Yan Tieshan sent people to rescue him, leaving this place poorly defended; “Shangguan Danfeng” came here, paid a visit to Yan Tieshan, and stabbed him during their conversation, and so on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This explanation was crude, but it was a plausible one under the circumstances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether others believed it or not, Huo Tianqing believed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yan Tieshan owes the Jin Peng Dynasty—naturally, I will settle his debt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the general manager of the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion and Shangguan Feiyan’s lover, Huo Tianqing naturally handed over control of the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Step one of the plan—completed!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the three targets marked for death, the boss of the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion, Yan Tieshan, was dead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What remained was to kill the head of the Emei Sect, Dugu Yihé, and the richest man alive, Huo Xiu; then Huo Tianqing could consolidate all three fortunes and become a mighty power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you owe Yan Tieshan—I won’t let that go unpaid!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Tianqing said grimly, preparing to advance to step two of the plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both Dugu Yihé and Yan Tieshan were former ministers of the Jin Peng Dynasty; since Huo Tianqing planned to hold a funeral for Yan Tieshan, Dugu Yihé would come to pay his respects, and then Huo Tianqing would strike, draining Dugu Yihé’s internal energy, and finally eliminate him with Gu Qing’s or Ximen Chuixue’s help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t be serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing questioned Huo Tianqing’s capability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This doubt made Huo Tianqing’s face burn, yet he stubbornly insisted: “I know—I’m unskilled, humiliated by you—but in the Jianghu, I still have some status and can summon a few friends. I can’t avenge him alone, but with a group, we can!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you can’t win, call for reinforcements—that’s the Jianghu’s common sense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Tianqing was the son of Tianqin Lao Ren, held immense seniority in the Jianghu, and had the Tianqin Sect devoted to protecting him; his words carried serious weight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My friends!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You have friends?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have friends!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I’ll just kill you outright.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said: “You bring your friends to avenge Yan Tieshan—that’s too indirect. Your friends may not give their all. But if I kill you, your friends will spare nothing to avenge you! Then I’ll have a truly satisfying fight!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing’s words sounded perfectly reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Tianqing froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shangguan Danfeng” suddenly spoke: “I killed Yan Tieshan because he ruined the Jin Peng Dynasty—we had a chance to restore our kingdom… but grievances have a source, debts have an owner; I don’t wish to harm the innocent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Shangguan Feiyan, using Shangguan Danfeng’s identity, sparing Huo Tianqing; she immediately turned to Gu Qing and thanked him: “Great Master Gu, your help today was immense—I’ll host a banquet tonight at the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion to properly repay you…” As she spoke, “Shangguan Danfeng” gripped Gu Qing’s sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Tianqing watched his lover intervene to save him—his heart ached, feeling another humiliation added to today’s tally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Heh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaofeng was jealous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Xiaofeng felt he and “Shangguan Danfeng” were a perfect match—mutually attracted, only needing a bed and the right moment. They were already so intimate, yet she reached for Gu Qing’s sleeve and thanked him!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Another time.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing looked at “Shangguan Danfeng” and said: “Next time, let’s take you and Feiyan for a three-player match.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath “Shangguan Danfeng’s” guise was Shangguan Feiyan—she understood perfectly what “three-player match” meant. Her eyes now feigned innocent confusion, cheeks flushed with mild indignation, but inside she seethed: After I kill you, I’ll bury you and Shangguan Danfeng together—let you two play a two-player match!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Yan Tieshan’s matter settled, Gu Qing turned to Su Shaoqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Yan Tieshan’s case, Gu Qing tried to tear up Huo Xiu’s script—but Huo Xiu patched it. Now Gu Qing would try tearing Dugu Yihé’s script and see how Huo Xiu patched this one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Young brother, I notice your breathing is even, your internal energy remarkable—you seem to be of the Emei lineage.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing suddenly questioned Su Shaoqing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Emei Sect had Three Heroes and Four Fair Maidens; among the Four Fair Maidens, Sun Xiuqing was future Ximen Chuixue’s wife. Su Shaoqing’s true identity was Su Shaoying of Emei, sent by his master Dugu Yihé to disguise himself as a scholar and infiltrate the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Gu Qing’s inquiry, Su Shaoying no longer concealed himself—he revealed his true identity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was also quite unfortunate in the original story: Ximen Chuixue provoked Su Shaoying into drawing his sword, then said he didn’t want to kill him, telling him to train for another twenty years. Unable to bear the humiliation, Su Shaoying thrust his sword forward—and was killed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Dugu Yihé, Yan Tieshan, Huo Xiu—all traitors to the Jin Peng Dynasty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said: “Yan Tieshan is dead; next comes Dugu Yihé. He should be in Shanxi by now… where exactly?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Shaoying, hearing his master mentioned, fell silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Rumors say Dugu Yihé is now resting at the Baxian Hall in the southern city.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shangguan Danfeng” immediately said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion to the Baxian Hall was only a few li; Dugu Yihé didn’t come directly because he needed to adjust his state and hear Su Shaoying’s report.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Gu Qing hurried, he could confront Dugu Yihé right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing stepped past Su Shaoying, faced south, and declared loudly: “Dugu Yihé, you betrayed the Jin Peng Dynasty and founded the Qingyi Pavilion—your crimes are grave. At noon tomorrow, fight me at the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing’s voice was deep and thundered through the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hua Manlou, startled, asked: “Is this the legendary Thousand-Li Voice Projection?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing slowly nodded. In the Divine Condor, Yidan could project his voice a thousand li; Gu Qing, practicing Yogic Tantra, had mastered the “Throat Chakra” of the Three Channels and Seven Wheels—his voice vibrated, carrying his words from the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion straight into the Baxian Hall, delivering every word unaltered to Dugu Yihé!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Correct. We hold the moral high ground; to challenge Dugu Yihé, we must do so openly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing said calmly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This made “Shangguan Danfeng” and Huo Tianqing turn pale.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the Jin Peng Dynasty affair, the ones who broke their word were not Huo Xiu, Dugu Yihé, or Yan Tieshan—it was the Jin Peng royal family themselves, who had no wish to restore the kingdom, only to live in peace. Afterwards, Huo Xiu, Yan Tieshan, and Dugu Yihé all lived their own lives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only now, with news of the Jin Peng Dynasty resurfacing, did Dugu Yihé rush here to investigate. The labels “traitor” and “master of the Qingyi Pavilion” were fabricated by Shangguan Feiyan and Huo Tianqing to justify Lu Xiaofeng and Ximen Chuixue’s actions—but telling them to Dugu Yihé exposed the entire conspiracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was Gu Qing’s second attempt to tear up the script.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing wanted to see how Huo Xiu would patch it now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Go back.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing sneered at Su Shaoying: “A gentleman turns into an ape or crane; a villain turns into poison and sand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Su Shaoying, well-read in poetry, heard Gu Qing’s words and recalled many verses and Daoist texts like the Baopuzi. “A gentleman turns into an ape or crane; a villain turns into poison and sand”—it sounded like Gu Qing meant to reduce Dugu Yihé to dust. But in Su Shaoying’s interpretation, it also carried the veiled meaning: “The gentleman departs; the villain prospers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unsure whether he understood correctly, Su Shaoying bowed to Gu Qing, then leapt away toward the Baxian Hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gu Qing watched Su Shaoying’s retreating back—he directly challenged Dugu Yihé to avoid Su Shaoying, this unlucky fool, being killed en route and distorting the message.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that Gu Qing had delivered his message, there was no reason for the shadowy figure behind the scenes to kill Su Shaoying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Prepare the banquet! Prepare the banquet!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shangguan Danfeng” ordered the Zhuguang Baoqi Pavilion to mobilize, then stepped to Huo Tianqing’s side and snapped: “Only you can kill Dugu Yihé!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Gu Qing met Dugu Yihé face-to-face, the entire conspiracy would collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So before Gu Qing and Dugu Yihé fought, Dugu Yihé had to die!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You can’t be serious.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Huo Tianqing blurted these words instinctively—Gu Qing said them to doubt Huo Tianqing’s ability; Huo Tianqing said them because he knew his own limits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could defeat Dugu Yihé, he’d have done it long ago—he wouldn’t need these schemes… And now, after painstakingly setting up a plot to become the mastermind, the hired killers say one word and force him, the mastermind, to go kill someone himself?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t this turning heaven upside down?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It has to be you—no one else!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Shangguan Danfeng” said: “I must keep Gu Qing occupied tonight so he doesn’t meet any Emei people—so only you can act… After all, you still have a lover inside Emei.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shangguan Feiyan also felt it was a nightmare—Gu Qing’s entry into the plot had thrown the mastermind into chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1505,"2026-06-20T17:04:26.501Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","317141632b0f413b966585f737dee9f8cc8198491cc5fbee2b5edeffd6be721d","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-85","living-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-chapter-83",449,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fliving-among-all-heavens-achieving-immortality-t-cover.jpg"]