Chapter 467 - 296: Marquis Chengyang Rebels, Elder Celestial Master Descends the Mountain (Part 2)
Ling Hao pondered for a long while and then said, "Let’s conduct one final test."
"How do we do that?" the scholar asked, puzzled.
"Marquis Liu," Ling Hao said coldly, "let the White Lotus Sect make a move. If there’s no trick, then Marquis Liu will undoubtedly die. If he escapes, it means there’s deception involved, and we must immediately cease all actions!"
The scholar thought for a moment and said, "The Marquis is indeed thorough in his thinking."
...
Yunxi, a land of constant turmoil.
The Battle of Yu City shocked the world, drawing countless attention, and during this time, numerous people from the Martial World have also appeared in the land of Yunxi. Top forces from all over the Xia Kingdom quietly arrived.
All were coming for Gu Zhan.
On the surface, all the top forces denied that Gu Zhan had become a Land Immortal, but secretly, they were speculating that he might have mastered a new Cultivation Method. Similarly, some people wanted to investigate what legacy Gu Zhan had acquired.
The background and experiences of Gu Zhan,
after the Battle of Yu City, were thoroughly investigated by all forces. Without exception, all could only find that before the fourth year of Qingli, Gu Zhan was an ordinary person who didn’t understand Martial Arts. But one day in the winter of that year, he suddenly transformed from an ordinary person into a decisive genius with an unbelievably rapid rise.
And now, the forces coming to Yunxi have two purposes: one is to investigate whether Gu Zhan truly mastered a new Cultivation Method, and the other is to uncover the secret legacy behind his rise.
Of course, these movements,
naturally couldn’t be hidden from Gu Zhan. However, he had no time to deal with these matters as he was busy seizing territories with his troops during this period.
Now, since his identities as Marquis Yun and Grand General of the Army were exposed, he openly began to act under these titles, forming an army by drawing some people from the Beidou Bang, recruiting more soldiers, and expanding across Yunxi.
With Rong Yichu handling internal affairs and Nangong Weiyang leading the troops, Gu Zhan didn’t need to worry about too many things, simply expanding according to the pre-established march route.
And the situation in Yunxi went exactly as Rong Yichu predicted, without encountering any obstruction. After the Battle of Yu City, forces throughout Yunxi retreated to Sword King City, which also reacted as expected by continuously contracting its influence and even starting to seal off the mountains.
As it stands now,
the Demon Dao is competing with the Beidou Bang for territory from two directions, both sides showing restraint and avoiding conflicts. Even in minor skirmishes, the Demon Dao retreats decisively, wary of a scenario where two tigers fight while Sword King City watches from a distance.
However, amid this whirlwind of chaos,
a major event erupted in Yunzhou again, shocking the world and instantly redirecting the world’s attention away from Yunxi.
Compared to the Martial World turmoil in Yunxi,
this incident in Yunzhou signaled true national upheaval—
Marquis Chengyang, Ling Hao, had rebelled!
...
In a manor located in Yiling City, Zhongwu Dao, Yunxi.
Gu Zhan, Rong Yichu, and Nangong Weiyang were sitting and drinking tea.
Rong Yichu fiddled with the small stove brewing tea, chuckling lightly, "Although we long knew that Marquis Chengyang would rebel, we didn’t expect it to happen so fast. But on second thought, the reason it happened so quickly is because our Lord gave it a push."
Nangong Weiyang asked, puzzled, "Why do you say that?"
Rong Yichu ladled a scoop of tea for Gu Zhan and then for Nangong Weiyang, saying, "Because our Lord’s current identity as Marquis Yun and Grand General of the Army means that suppressing Yunxi would inevitably lead to army formation. Regardless of the army’s strength, it can threaten the White Lotus Sect by taking a detour through the Ten Thousand Mountains to the Northern Territory.
That’s one point. Another is that the victory in Yu City gave the Astronomical Bureau a more legitimate reason to come to Yunxi, creating conditions for Ling Hao’s rebellion more quickly. With these two factors, Ling Hao’s rebellion process naturally accelerated."
Nangong Weiyang realized, "I see. But isn’t Marquis Chengyang afraid of being abandoned by the world, becoming a target for others to trample?"
Gu Zhan chuckled, "He’s not foolish. He surely won’t directly declare rebellion but would find a legitimate reason, such as ’purging the king’s side’!"
"Wisely said, my Lord," Rong Yichu chuckled lightly. "The intelligence we just received shows that Marquis Chengyang indeed used the slogan of purging the king’s side for his rebellion."
Rong Yichu took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Gu Zhan, saying, "This is the latest intelligence, intended for you, my Lord. I didn’t expect both you and General Nangong to come here first!"
Gu Zhan took the letter and asked, "Explain it in detail."
Rong Yichu said, "Ling Hao killed Marquis Liu, then fabricated numerous charges of collusion with court officials, embezzling military funds, selling grain and military equipment against him. He even claimed the White Lotus Sect was loyal to the nation but was persecuted by traitors at court.
In any case, he spun a multitude of reasons to openly take over the White Lotus Sect’s army while proclaiming the slogan of purging the king’s side, marching towards the Capital City. Simultaneously, people in Qingzhou and Liangzhou also responded."
Gu Zhan glanced at the intelligence and handed it to Nangong Weiyang, saying, "Looks like the Ling Family and Dugu Faction have been preparing for a long time."
Rong Yichu nodded, "Without Yang Yuzhi’s espionage plan, they could take control of the Yun, Liang, and Qing Three States within three months at most. The Ling Family and Dugu Faction have been entrenched in Qingzhou and Liangzhou for centuries. It’s extremely easy for them to take action."
Gu Zhan said in a deep voice, "No wonder Yang Yuzhi laid out this decades-long scheme. For the Court, having the Dugu Faction and the Ling Family stuck in these two states is like a thorn in its side, hindering any plans. However, this currently has nothing to do with us."