Chapter 150: Chapter 132: A Swift Month, Brimming with Talent, Time to Implement Subversion

Another month passed, and much had transpired.

The Saint Monk’s three-day sermon had concluded, but Zen Master Jiang Shan temporarily remained in the Imperial Capital, in no hurry to return to the Silver Frost Country.

Meanwhile, as autumn drew to a close, the Eldest Princess of the Golden Crow Country was scheduled to arrive with a tribute of fine, mass-produced weapons from the autumn harvest.

The Golden Crow Country, located to the southwest of Great Yan, was rich in Red Crow Iron Ore. The Red Crow Stone it produced was an excellent material for forging weapons, comparable to Great Yan’s Red Gold but much cheaper and available in vast reserves. Many master blacksmiths had settled in the Golden Crow Country, and Great Yan purchased a great deal of its iron equipment and weaponry from them.

In addition to Red Crow Iron Ore, they also had White Rock Ore for construction and Hot Spring Stones for building Spirit Gathering Arrays, all of which were incredibly valuable.

One hundred seventy li west of the Royal Capital lay a forest of Red Crow Iron Ore mines and inexhaustible open-pit coal mines. Thirty li to the north was White Rock Mountain, which held deposits of White Rock Ore and sat atop a massive hot spring.

The Royal Capital of the Golden Crow Country had a population of 3.3 million, with a regular army of 200,000 soldiers, 100,000 of whom were heavy-armored cavalry. The soldiers wielded Wugu Bows and wore White Bull Rock Armor, which possessed a defensive strength capable of withstanding a Fourth-Realm Martial Artist. Many small and mid-sized Sects were no match for them.

The vanguard cavalry were all handpicked experts with a Cultivation at the Martial Arts Third Realm, which was the minimum standard for selection. They were known domestically as Martial Riders. Furthermore, the mounts they rode were a variant of the Black Blooded Horse called the “Black Blood Demon Steed.” These steeds were raised on iron ore and were comparable to Great Yan’s Dragon-Scale Horses.

Every year, Great Yan imported over ten million silver taels’ worth of weapons and equipment, with orders placed in the spring and delivered at the end of autumn.

This time, the Eldest Princess of the Golden Crow Country was personally leading the delegation, a matter the Great Yan Court took very seriously.

Additionally, the retrial for the case of the Demoness of the Demon Country, which had once shaken the Imperial Capital, officially began. The Drumming Institute presided, assisted by the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. They summoned members of the Imperial Guard who had been defending the Capital at the time. However, the case files had been suppressed and the evidence utterly destroyed. The moment any clue or lead appeared, it was cut off. The resistance was immense, and the situation grew volatile and unpredictable. Despite this, the Bright Lamp Bureau investigated numerous businesses in the Capital, including brothels and casinos, and did indeed uncover many secret tunnels.

The third matter concerned the Champion Marquis, who had arrived at the front lines to join forces with Prince Zhenbei. For the time being, there was no activity on the Northwest front. The Demon Country had not attacked, nor were there any rumors of friction between the Champion Marquis and Prince Zhenbei. It seemed they were getting along harmoniously enough.

Only from the Langya Royal Mansion came sounds of conflict. The loss of the Relic had severely damaged the Seventh Prince’s prestige, and Leiyin Temple, his sole major supporter, had fallen silent.

Princess Consort Ning was attacked, but Prince Jin’s carriage happened to be passing by and averted the disaster. As a result, the Capital increased restrictions, interrogations, and inspections for Jianghu Knights entering the city.

The Seventh Prince, Lu Yunwan, lived in constant fear, staying in his mother’s quarters and not daring to step outside.

…

Prince Jin’s Mansion was a grand and imposing estate. Array patterns, shimmering with spiritual light, were carved into the walls, making it impossible for even a Middle Fifth Grade expert to infiltrate.

At this moment, inside a spacious hall, more than half of the Endless Pavilion’s high-ranking Tributors were gathered. Among them were many of the new subordinates Xun Yu had cultivated in Nan Zhou.

They all exuded powerful auras, each one a renowned figure from the various States and Counties. Some of the Cultivators were even accompanied by strange, unfathomable visions and phantoms, while others carried mysterious, ancient artifacts on their persons.

It could be said that all the elites of the Infinite Faction were here.

The Four Great A-Grade Tributors of the Endless Pavilion were gathered together for the first time. Looking around, one could see over thirty powerful B-Grade Tributors seated among them.

There wasn’t a single expert below the Middle Fifth Grade present.

The Eldest Prince, Fourth Prince, and Fifth Prince were all dead, a feat for which these Tributors could claim no small credit. What worried the Endless Pavilion, however, was their dwindling number of subordinates—a sign that their talent pool was drying up.

Who could say where the situation would go from here?

Lu Guangjing sat in the highest seat, his gaze cold. He was the first to speak. “The Pavilion has indeed lost many members recently. At the same time, this Prince has discovered that several internal struggles have broken out, resulting in casualties. Is this true?”

“New and old Tributors are coming to blows. Is this acceptable? Is the entire Endless Pavilion going to splinter apart?”

The new Tributors had been parachuted into high-ranking positions, and many of the old Tributors couldn’t stand it. The conflict had been simmering, and they all enjoyed picking fights with each other.

The old Tributors held their breath, not daring to make a sound, for they knew what their Prince was capable of.

The new Tributors, however, remained impassive. They were from Nan Zhou and revered the Lord State Preceptor. Naturally, they didn’t hold much respect for Prince Jin and were merely awaiting his orders.

The Lord State Preceptor held the highest position in the Infinite Faction. His Cultivation was unfathomable, and he was as elusive as a divine dragon, never showing his tail.

Some speculated he had already reached the Thirteenth Realm and could be canonized as a saint, while others believed that during his years in Nan Zhou, the National Preceptor had long since ascended to the Fourteenth Realm.

In the National Preceptor’s absence, the strongest members were the few A-Grade Tributors, among whom were the Daoist Shadow Scout and the former Nan Zhou general, Qin Fangding.

One of the Four Great Tributors, a one-eyed old man known as Elder Du, spoke with a grave expression. “On the surface, the situation in Great Yan is calm, but in reality, it’s highly unstable. The Eighth Prince could make a move at any moment. The Demon Country, though slow to react, will eventually seek retribution. There’s also a risk of turmoil erupting within Great Yan. The Sixth Prince’s trial is imminent, and the Bright Lamp Bureau has already begun searching the businesses under Prince Jin’s control. If they find any clues from that time, it will be disastrous. The Sixth Prince’s maternal grandfather is the Prime Minister in the Imperial Court, and he also married the daughters of the Champion Marquis and Master Qi. He has clearly become a new threat. More importantly, his relationship with the Eighth Prince is excellent.”

“At that point, Prince Jin will become a prize for the other Princes to carve up. How can we possibly have time for internal strife?”

Another man, a tall, brawny giant covered in black tattoos known as Nether Tiger, stood up and said in a booming voice, “Elder Du is right. Back then, none of us expected those two women would actually agree to marry Prince Huai’an. By the time we wanted to stop it, it was already too late. Now that Prince Huai’an wants to overturn the verdict, we absolutely cannot sit back and do nothing.”

“The Eighth Prince wants to unite with the other two Princes to deal with us! We can’t be rash about this; we must consider it from a long-term perspective. Haven’t we already played the Princess Consort Ning card? That should buy us some time and make Prince Chongwen hesitate, perhaps even suspect his own wife.”

The high-ranking members of the Endless Pavilion argued endlessly. There were the radicals, who believed in taking the initiative to eliminate the Seventh and Sixth Princes as soon as possible, not allowing the Eighth Prince to succeed.

Others were conservatives, who thought they should lie low for a while longer to let the Endless Pavilion recover its strength, replenish its manpower, and prepare to fend off an attack from the Eighth Prince.

What was beyond doubt was that in this conflict between the second and eighth, the Infinite Faction absolutely could not afford to lose.

Lu Guangjing sat in his seat with his eyes closed, not saying a word, as if he had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, a Communication Paper Crane appeared in his hand.

A smile touched the corners of his mouth as he read the message on the crane:

“Plan successful.”

Soon, the expressions of the other A-Grade Tributors changed as well.

’Could it be…’

Lu Guangjing smiled faintly. “This Prince has gone to great lengths this past month. It wasn’t easy to make Prince Langya grow suspicious of Old Eighth. Now, it’s time to close the net.”

’As long as I can make Old Seventh and Old Eighth hostile toward each other, the pressure on Prince Jin’s Mansion will lessen significantly.’

“Your Highness, do you intend to move against the Seventh Prince?”

Elder Du asked, cupping his hands.

Lu Guangjing chuckled. “That man is a coward who doesn’t dare to confront me directly. Why would this Prince need to act personally? Just ruin his businesses, and what does Lu Yunwan amount to?”

Many of the Tributors nodded in secret agreement.

Lu Yunwan had numerous businesses. If they cut off his source of income, the Seventh Prince’s faction would naturally collapse on its own.

“The Golden Crow Country’s tribute is next month. If we use that as an opportunity to cause trouble, we can make his businesses fail. The salt and iron trade is controlled by the Court; if he touches it, he’s finished.”

“But Lu Yunwan has a sharp business mind. He’ll probably figure it out.”

Lu Guangjing demanded, “If that’s the case, then what does this Prince need you for?”

“Do it cleanly.”

“Furthermore, the Endless Pavilion has already been replenished with many new people. There is no need for panic.”

“Tributor Yang has done an excellent job in this matter and deserves praise.”

Lu Guangjing looked toward a young man wearing a Bronze Tiger Mask, his eyes filled with approval. His gaze drew the attention of everyone present.

Only then did they recall the man’s infamous name: Butcher Yang Jian.

“Your Highness flatters me.”

The young man smiled and cupped his hands toward Lu Guangjing.

“Thanks to him, we were able to recruit over twenty Level C Experts in just one month. This Prince’s Infinite Faction is now brimming with talent. I hope you will all lend your full support and that such internal strife does not happen again.”

He added coolly, “This applies to all of you, new Tributors and old.”

“Yes, Your Highness!”

Everyone felt the aura emanating from Lu Guangjing and shuddered.

’His Highness’s Cultivation has advanced again. It’s clear that the Fourth Prince’s death has greatly benefited his Dragon Slaying Skill.’

In that brief moment, Lu Mingyuan discerned Lu Guangjing’s true strength.

’Confucian and Daoist Dual Cultivation.’

’His Confucian Dao is at the Eighth Realm.’

’His Qi Cultivator path is at the Seventh Realm.’

’He’s incredibly strong. A dual-cultivation genius who cannot be underestimated.’

After the crowd dispersed, as Lu Mingyuan was leaving, he overheard a discussion from some people nearby.

“I can’t believe His Highness’s Realm has risen again after falling. It seems things have really been going his way lately.”

“If His Highness succeeds in the fight for the throne, won’t he be able to stabilize his Cultivation at the Tenth or even Eleventh Realm? His methods are truly admirable!”

Lu Mingyuan glanced at them and asked casually, “His Realm fell? When did that happen?”

A B-Grade Tributor glanced at him, recognized him as Yang Erlang, and whispered, “You don’t know? A previous plan failed, and he dropped two Realms.”

“I see.”

Lu Mingyuan’s eyes lit up. He recalled the previous divination; it had indeed said the person who set the trap would suffer a drop in their Realm.

’I just never expected it would be such a drastic drop!’

’So this is the Dragon Slaying Skill my father-in-law mentioned?’

’A heresy, the antithesis of the Confucian Temple’s Dragon Supporting Skill.’

’It can absorb the Destiny of the world, or the Destiny of a state, to bolster one’s own Cultivation. But it also invites backlash from the Celestial Dao. If you can’t control it and fail, you’ll die and your Dao will be extinguished.’

’One could say the Dragon Supporting Skill is for assisting a King, while the Dragon Slaying Skill is for controlling a King, using the National Fortune to advance one’s Cultivation.’

’Throughout history, there has been no shortage of powerful court officials who practiced the Dragon Slaying Skill. They were often so powerful that no one in the entire Imperial Court could stand against them.’

’Perhaps I can make use of this.’

As Lu Mingyuan was walking, a woman with a heroic bearing approached him. She wore Arm Armor, and her long, black hair was tied in a high ponytail. Her face was covered, revealing only a pair of cold eyes. Her navel was exposed, and her slender figure was quite striking.

’Shadow Scout, one of the Four A-Grade Tributors.’

“Lord Shadow Scout, what are your orders?”

Lu Mingyuan said, bowing his head and cupping his hands.

Shadow Scout said coolly, “His Highness wants you to follow me on a mission. Bring your men.”

“As you command.”

Lu Mingyuan first agreed, then looked up and asked, “My lord, may I ask what the mission is?”

“To intercept and assassinate Princess Jinwu.”

Shadow Scout tossed him a suit of Armor and walked away without looking back.

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep