Chapter 458: The Plan to Swallow All Under Heaven, the Enthronement Ceremony of the Wu Wang

After Chen Tianyi spoke, Master Wen Qingyu smiled and clapped his hands, saying:

"That's more like it—excellent, excellent."

As Master Wen Qingyu smiled, Li Guanyi noticed a hint of relief in Chen Tianyi's eyes, even a sense of satisfaction and joy, as if he had received something profoundly rewarding from Master Wen Qingyu's approval.

Li Guanyi: "…………"

Sssss!

What exactly happened in these past six months?

Forget it—I'd rather not think about it; it just feels unsettling.

Li Guanyi looked at this former elder of Chen State, one of the two Grand Masters of the Scripture Library, who since the day Li Guanyi himself had stripped him of his Wu Gong, had in these six months seemingly lost all his arrogance.

Li Guanyi told him to rise and sit beside the nearby table, then poured tea for him himself, saying:

"Tell me."

Chen Tianyi cupped the tea with both hands, remained silent for a long while, then spoke slowly with an expression of great difficulty: "Actually, our Chen State has a Mystical Realm."

Li Guanyi said: "I know about Chen Baxian's Mystical Realm."

Chen Baxian's Mystical Realm contains many spirit herbs and plants, but it lies near the mountains bordering Chen State and Ying State—how could one possibly enter Chen State from there?

Chen Tianyi had intended to use this intelligence to buy time.

He had not expected Li Guanyi to already know—his body froze, momentarily flustered.

Master Wen Qingyu smiled: "Oh? Using intelligence the Lord already knows…"

Gentle, harmless, sincere, with a faint smile.

Chen Tianyi's body tensed instantly: "I—I didn't mean those! Cough, cough, cough—not those, not those!" He nearly choked from fear: "It's after Lord Chen, when our former Wu Di had already brought Lord Gong's Wu Gong to its peak."

"Thus, Wu Gong could open the Mystical Realm—our Chen family's rise and founding of the state were deeply tied to this Mystical Realm."

Li Guanyi said: "But the herbs inside have not yet matured."

Chen Tianyi said: "It's not about the herbs—actually…" His face twisted in conflict, yet beneath the calm, indifferent gaze behind him, he spoke slowly: "The Lord's knowledge of the Mystical Realm must have come from the Scripture Library."

"But the heroes of the world are not merely Chen Baxian's ancestor alone."

"Back then, when the Wu Di faced off against Chi Di's armies, he used the Mystical Realm to conceal his troops…"

Li Guanyi's gaze sharpened, then he said: "Good."

He suddenly realized he had fallen into a cognitive blind spot.

The Mystical Realm—the Mystical Realm—is still within Chen State.

But apart from its herbs, it is truly a space, concealing its interior and exterior, capable of hiding large numbers of cavalry—though the mountain paths are ten thousand li long and treacherous, the army could move slowly, undetected, into the Mystical Realm to train.

Rest and recuperate for months, then launch a feint-and-strike maneuver.

For instance, apply pressure along the waterways, while Li Guanyi leads his ten thousand troops out from the Mystical Realm, deploying the Fire Qilin's classic tactic—elite heavy cavalry emerging from the mountains.

The army appears deep within Chen State, then charges straight for the imperial capital in one decisive thrust.

Reviving the Yu Langwang's ancient strategy!

But Chen State has no Grand Tutor Jiang Su.

Li Guanyi is not the old Yu Langwang, Chen Fubi, left with no one behind him—he is the Qin Wang, backed by vast, boundless lands, a million armored soldiers, overwhelming and fierce enough to sweep the world clean.

If Chen State recalls its main army to crush Li Guanyi,

then on the waterways, dispatch a senior general to hold the line.

Chen State would lose vast territories—Chen Tianyi, seeing Li Guanyi's expression, knew the Qin Wang had already devised his plan; after revealing this, he realized all was lost, and said: "That battle ended in a great victory."

"For these past few centuries, our Chen State has continuously repaired the supply stations and mountain outposts along the route—but decades ago, that generation of Emperor favored Buddhism and saw the Chi Di lineage of Zhongzhou had utterly declined, so we gradually reduced repairs."

"But they are still usable."

Supply stations. Mountain outposts.

These are the core of an army's logistical capability along fixed routes.

They are absolute critical nodes for any strategist—no commander would ever overlook them.

Li Guanyi thought of that generation of Chen Emperor—the one who, while Tai Ping Gong and Yu Langwang fought Jiang Su on the frontlines, stayed behind to pray and worship, then made Yu Langwang Prince of Puyang and granted Li Wanli a dukedom, tearing them apart.

He was the one who caused Tai Ping Gong and Shen Wu Wang to turn against each other.

The relay stations and mountain outposts that maintained the state's infrastructure and military system were abolished by that generation of Chen Emperor, and the funds were instead used to repair temples and support monks, casting Buddha statues with gold powder.

Bowing reverently before the statues, amid the chanting of sutras and the murmur of prayers, he begged for the people's peace and prosperity, for the nation's enduring longevity.

He begged for peace under heaven.

A nation's downfall and decline are often sown in its very peak—today, the outposts painstakingly established three hundred years ago by the Chen Wu Di to open a new era are about to become the blade that will strike down his own nation and descendants.

Li Guanyi ordered Chen Tianyi to draw out all these locations.

Chen Tianyi's face still showed struggle—he was fiercely resistant to this, and even if he drew the hidden outposts across the vast territory, he could still fabricate false ones.

This back-and-forth struggle dragged on for days without resolution.

Master Wen Qingyu remained silent for a long time.

Master Wen Qingyu summoned two outside allies.

And with his ability 【Ta Xin Tong】, he successfully placed both into a special state.

One was Master Yan Daiqing, who learned this man knew the outposts and could reduce 【nine-tenths of logistical pressure】.

The other was 【Xiao Zhi】, carrying a small notebook, wandering everywhere.

The three went together to have a final heart-to-heart with Chen Tianyi.

Li Guanyi, after all, ruled vast lands rich in resources, drawing in talent from all corners—moreover, the Qin Wang's prestige was at its height, and the 【Wu Wang Dianyi】 was imminent, attracting talented individuals from every background across the land.

At this moment, another guest arrived at the capital of the Eighteen States of Jiangnan.

His body was packed with muscle, his bald head gleaming in the winter sun.

Dressed in simple robes, he held a water-fire staff, heavy only in weight, standing it upright before him with one hand, and intoned: "Amitabha"—it was the monk Shi San, master of 【Ta Xin Tong】.

Since the living Buddha of the Western Regions passed away, more than half a year had passed without meeting.

This simple-minded Monk came upon hearing of major events here and stopped by out of convenience; rare was the visit of an old friend, and Li Guanyi was delighted, inviting Monk Thirteen to sit and chat. Much had changed in Li Guanyi since they last met, and this Monk Thirteen had also transformed greatly.

When he first left the mountains, this Monk's brow was stern, his aura fierce and blazing.

Upon first arriving in the Western Regions, he had witnessed much human suffering, and countless helpless acts of good and evil.

The living Buddha's death had made his pure Buddhist heart even more refined; now, wielding a long staff, he walked the world, his demeanor transformed into simplicity and peace, his body marked by scars, yet his brow calm as autumn wind brushing past.

Li Guanyi and Monk Thirteen drank tea together.

The youthful, fiery warrior monk of old.

The king and the humble wanderer today.

Monk Thirteen said softly: "Amitabha, Brother Li, long time no see. How are you? I have traveled far and wide, seen all manner of worldly affairs, countless sufferings. I heard you will soon be crowned king, so I came to offer my congratulations."

Li Guanyi merely said it was already excellent that he had come to see him; if he wasn't in a hurry, he could stay longer.

Li Guanyi and the Monk discussed many things.

After hearing the living Buddha's final words, the Monk traveled far and wide to observe and feel: he saw families poor yet bound by deep affection, striving to survive; he saw the poor with cruel hearts.

He saw a mother ill, a father a gambler, a daughter who died falling from a mountain while gathering herbs; the father sold the herbs clutched in her hand for a little money, lost it all gambling, and the mother, driven mad, killed the gambler before screaming and leaping off the cliff.

He saw a man with a crippled leg, a woman who ran off after giving birth, the man raising the child alone, then the woman returning to take the child away with her.

He saw a family that scrimped and saved to send their child to school, only for the weight of pressure and expectation to drive the child mad into beggary.

Over idle talk and a cup of clear tea, both grew quietly still; after a long while, Monk Thirteen said: "In this mortal world, all is suffering—it is not merely a phrase from the sutras."

Li Guanyi said: "It sounds like you mean something more."

The Monk smiled warmly, his hands thick-boned and rough-skinned, cradling the scalding teacup: "When I descended the mountain, I intended to use this long staff to slay every wicked villain and restore boundless purity and freedom to the world."

"Back then, I saw the world in stark black and white."

"Kill evil, eradicate corruption."

"But after the living Buddha's passing, when I re-entered the mortal realm, I saw good and evil entangled, impossible to clearly distinguish—no longer could one strike and settle accounts with a single blow."

"To do so would not be to kill evil and save good, but to commit evil under the guise of 'eradicating evil,' falsely claiming to follow the Dharma—merely falling into the path of demons."

"What ultimately changed them into what they are today is this world itself."

After walking among mortals for so long, Monk Thirteen finally sighed and smiled: "If I return to the mountain, I must tell my ancestors: studying the Dharma can relieve inner suffering, but it cannot save all living beings."

"Studying the Dharma cannot save the world."

"But Qin Wang can."

Li Guanyi looked at this monk who had returned.

"Why have you reached this conclusion?"

The Monk replied: "General Fan Qing once said."

"Without traveling far and investigating, you have no right to speak."

"The things I described occur even more frequently in the other two states; under Qin Wang's rule, they exist too—but nowhere near as severely. I do not trust officials' embellishments—I trust what I see with my own eyes."

"That is why I came here—if I can assist Qin Wang, I am content."

Li Guanyi said: "Even I cannot save this world."

The Monk clasped his hands together and said gently: "Everyone must save themselves."

"I have come precisely for this reason."

Li Guanyi invited the Monk to meet Chen Tianyi; on the way, he asked: "By the way, how is your Heart-Access now?"

Monk Thirteen gave a gentle master's smile: "I have fully mastered it."

"No longer as naive as in the past."

Li Guanyi nodded: "Good."

Chen Tianyi, already mentally scattered under the assault of Yan Daiqing of the Northwest, Yan Daiqing, and Yan Daiqing holding a notebook, paid no mind as the compassionate Monk approached.

After all, the Southern Chen once boasted four hundred and eighty temples.

He had seen many such monks.

Especially ones like this Monk Thirteen—appearing compassionate, serene, and soft.

Chen Tianyi clung fiercely to his final piece of intelligence, lying there like a hardened criminal, shouting: "I've already been forced to reveal so much! My very last bottom line—I will not speak! Kill me!"

"Qin Wang, if you are a hero, give me a swift death!"

"Kill me! Kill me!"

Yan Daiqing's temple veins bulged; he grabbed his waist, and with a sharp *zing*, drew a long sword, raising it to strike—Wen Qingyu and Xiao Zhi blocked his arms on either side, gripping his waist.

Wen Qingyu said: "No, no, you must not."

"Use Ma Fei San, aphrodisiacs, or strong castor oil will do."

"No need to kill him."

Xiao Zhi said: "Calm down, calm down—why not just beat up Wen Qingyu instead?"

"Huh?"

Yan Daiqing, Chief Clerk of Tiance Prefecture, a refined gentleman.

Naturally upright, lately grown irritable due to logistical issues.

Monk Thirteen said gently: "Gentlemen, please step back—let me handle this."

"For such an elder, one must be kind, must be compassionate."

Chen Tianyi glanced at him sideways, inwardly disdainful, yet feigning cooperation, nodding repeatedly: "Great Master, be compassionate."

"Great Master, be compassionate."

"Please cease your powers."

"Please dismiss all three Yan Daiqing!"

Master Yan Daiqing: «…………»

«Hmph! »

After bowing to Li Guanyi, he swept his sleeve and left.

Chen Tianyi no longer cared at all—he burst into loud, triumphant laughter.

Just see what skill this monk has!

The Monk, whose eyes already held compassion, activated Ta Xin Tong; Chen Tianyi lost all his martial arts, his vision blurred, and he assumed this would be more of those sermons about Buddhist doctrine—nonsense he had long expected.

But the course of events was utterly unlike what he had anticipated.

Somehow, waves of scorching heat rose up.

Chen Tianyi stiffened, slowly lifting his head.

I… damn?

In his soul, he saw a Monk as towering as Rushan, holding a searing-hot teapot, eyes full of compassion, pouring an immeasurable torrent of boiling water down upon him—the sound like thunder, shaking Chen Tianyi's spirit until it scattered, his eyes swimming with golden stars.

«Have you let go yet?! »

«Why won't you let go?! »

«Wretch, what have you let go of?! »

…………………

In the end, Chen Tianyi was drenched head to toe by Ta Xin Tong, yet he stubbornly refused to speak—until the Monk Thirteen seized this chance to hear Chen Tianyi's inner thoughts and exclaimed:

«So this is it—you, though a Master of Huangzu Sect, have been draining the Qi of imperial concubines and palace maids. »

«Day and night, without pause. »

«And you even…»

Chen Tianyi was struck as by five thunderbolts—he roared in fury: «You—cough, cough—you don't dare! »

The Monk clasped his hands: «You have a secret son, seventeen years old. »

Chen Tianyi's body froze.

Monk Thirteen said: «If you wish, I can go personally to guide him into our Buddhist fold—he will never learn of your deeds. »

After enduring Master Wen Qingyu's methods, this former Grand Master's mental defenses finally cracked under Monk Thirteen's.

Death, humiliation—none could break this once-formidable warlord.

But in old age, his posthumous reputation.

This one bloodline.

Was enough to shatter his spirit.

Master Wen Qingyu spoke just the right words: «Your Wu Gong is already stripped. After you die, Chen Dingye won't burn incense for you. »

Chen Tianyi fell silent for a long while, his face blank:

«Give me a good posthumous name, and I'll reveal everything. »

Chen Tianyi drew every border defense, hidden passageway, and concealed mountain outpost beyond the Mystical Realm onto a map, marking them all.

Monk Thirteen said seriously: «Please also draw the secret paths you used for your trysts. »

Li Guanyi went to discuss this with Mr. Pojun and the others.

Pojun rejoiced: «The Mystical Realm, over ten hidden mountain outposts leading from it to Jiangzhou in Chen State, Chen State's capital defense map, and even a secret path to the imperial palace? »

«Huh? A secret path to the imperial palace? »

Pojun frowned, then added: «Never mind—it's still good news! »

«Brilliant, my lord! We can now strike where they're weak and strike straight at the dragon's lair. »

«I have a plan. »

The strategist, now in his thirties, seized Li Guanyi's sleeve, eyes bright, pointing directly at the map:

«My lord, the Southwest Army wears vine-armour and excels at leaping and ambushing through mountains. When you came from Zhenbei City to Jiangnan years ago, you traversed ten thousand li—but today is not as before. First, dispatch the Southwest Army along this route to reach the outskirts of Zhenbei City. »

«Then, my lord, lead your elite iron cavalry to lie in wait within the Mystical Realm. When the world stirs, seize Chen State's prefectures and passes, overthrow its dynasty—yet there is another way. »

Pojun's eyes glowed with purple light as he declared firmly:

«Kill their ruler! »

«End their dynasty! »

«Let the world submit! »

«My lord, if we can swiftly take Zhenbei City and seize Jiangzhou, slay Chen Dingye, then while Chen State remains unshaken, Chen Wenmian can raise his voice in call, Xue Lao Xue Daoyong can orchestrate it, and with your reputation for benevolence, most of Chen State's cities will surrender. »

«Thus, the world is within our grasp! »

«And is not Zhenbei City the very fortress built by the late Master Siming? »

His hand pressed upon the map—the possibility of seizing two of the three realms.

All because of Chen Tianyi's existence.

It had opened a gap before Li Guanyi and his followers.

…………

Yet this matter could not be rushed—before Li Guanyi and his men now lay a more urgent issue: the enfeoffment ceremony had already begun.

Envoys from Chen State and Ying State had both arrived in Jiangnan.

No matter how much Li Guanyi and his men wished to advance their new strategy, they could not act while these two envoys were present—Chen State's envoy had sent vast amounts of gold, silver, beauties, and antique artifacts.

Ying State's envoy had also sent vast amounts of gold, silver, and beauties.

Upon seeing the palace where Qin Wang resided, both envoys immediately sighed in disappointment; the Fire Qilin soldiers held Qin Wang in deep respect, and seeing the envoys' expressions, they naturally felt displeased—but could not openly turn hostile.

They merely said: «You two seem dissatisfied—what is wrong? »

Chen State's envoy's face showed surprise, then he hurriedly said: «How dare we! How dare we! We merely heard Qin Wang is a peerless hero of the world, a youth of unparalleled brilliance—the foremost man of this age—but his residence is… unreasonably humble. »

"How could such a sight possibly match Qin Wang's glorious reputation?!"

"I humbly feel it is a pity for Qin Wang."

The soldiers of the Fire Qilin Army found these words somewhat reasonable.

Yet they still said: "Our King differs from the Emperor of Chen; he does not delight in luxury or indulgence."

The envoys of Chen and Ying further declared: "We know the Fire Qilin Army is frugal, and Qin Wang loves his people. If he is willing, we are prepared to bring craftsmen, gold and silver, at our own expense, to build a royal palace for Qin Wang as a tribute!"

At this, the soldiers of the Fire Qilin Army did not know how to refute them.

The envoys of Chen and Ying secretly spread word again: such a residence was unworthy of Qin Wang's achievements, lacked treasures to display his majesty, lacked beauties and music, lacked ritual instruments to reflect his composure.

Truly a pity — a great pity.

For a time, the morale of the Fire Qilin Army, which had won repeatedly, and the situation of the Tiance Prefecture, subtly began to waver, growing light and frivolous — this was only natural. Yet when Li Guanyi heard this news, he simply said:

"They are not our match on the battlefield."

"Now they choose this method? To corrupt us with gold, silver, and beauties?"

Wen Lingjun said: "Many soldiers now believe their words hold merit. Even the students of the Imperial Academy and the officials feel you should display your glory at the Enthronement Ceremony, in accordance with ancient and time-honored rites."

Li Guanyi said: "... So it is."

He rose, gripping the sword at his waist, and said: "The new aristocratic houses have finally begun to emerge."

Wen Lingjun sensed a faint but fierce aura.

Li Guanyi said: "Victory breeds restlessness; restlessness invites manipulation. Throughout history, how many heroes have fallen at this very threshold? We must not repeat their mistake."

"Please, Lord Wen, inform Fan Qing that the matter he raised earlier should now be prioritized."

"Yet that matter cannot be rushed — the Enthronement Ceremony is imminent."

Li Guanyi's eyes held an inner radiance.

Within him, the Nine Provinces Cauldron faintly shimmered with flowing light.

Li Guanyi understood: the Nine Provinces Cauldron was an instrument of the state; the more solemn and majestic the ceremony, the more it stirred fate and activated the Nine Provinces Cauldron. Following those ancient, solemn rites for the Enthronement Ceremony would surely allow the Nine Provinces Cauldron to accumulate fate.

But this time, Li Guanyi had no intention of following this prevailing tide.

The current of the mortal world must be met with firm footing and unwavering resolve.

He gripped his sword and spoke slowly:

"I shall sweep away this flicker of restlessness for you all."

"Reforge your hearts."

Li Guanyi did not notice that, as he chose not to follow the potential resurgence of the Nine Provinces Cauldron, its shimmering light slowly receded inward — not vanishing, but sinking deeper, as if gestating something.

The entire Eighteenth Province of Jiangnan subtly gathered, as on the day of the great Chen sacrifice, people of all factions and systems: Chen, Ying, the Western Regions, the Southwest, the Jianghu, the court, Zhongzhou, even the Turks.

Last time, Li Guanyi had been one among those on the edge of the vortex.

Now, he was the very source that stirred the world's vortex.

Those who came came to congratulate, to seek fame, to pursue wealth, or to erode this young ruler's ambition, to drain away that fierce heroic spirit — and beneath the watchful eyes of so many powers,

the Enthronement Ceremony.

Begins.

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? Today I had some matters to handle, so the update was delayed — my schedule is still unstable. Any unexpected event causes delays.

? Go to sleep immediately, maintain my routine.

? Good night, everyone