Li Zhengyuan stood up, the corners of his eyes still wet. Feng Min could not help but sigh. The more she looked at him, the more she admired him. He was intelligent, passionate, proficient in Dao techniques, good at using people, and quick-witted. Such a person was a blessing for the Records Department.
After a pause, Feng Min said, "Li Zhengyuan, it's good that you have such an idea. However, the Department of Records needs to have some seeds. What if they are wiped out?"
He then continued, "It's not just you. A group of important people have to return as well. You've listened to my teachings before and I know your abilities. When you return, prepare well."
"You have the ability. Only by going to a higher position will you be able to perform better. For the Imperial Court, for the Department of Records, and for yourself, go back."
"Furthermore, the Emperor already knows about this and has given his approval. Don't hesitate and prepare to return to the capital."
"Yes." Although Li Zhengyuan was unwilling, he did not say anything else.
Watching Li Zhengyuan leave, Feng Min sighed and asked the young Daoist, "Daoist Lord, is the matter with the demons really not important?"
As she spoke, she handed over a document. The Daoist Lord glanced at it and smiled, "The demons are not strong. They only rely on blood sacrifices to allow their souls to reincarnate into their bodies. That's why they seem to be getting stronger."
"But the more they do this, the more it irritates the Heaven's Will."
Feng Min said, "I know that the Heaven's Will hates them. However, there's still some time before they fall. When they die, they are especially vicious …"
Before she finished her sentence, the Daoist Lord laughed, "You're still too small. A massacre is a small matter to a race. It's only the Heaven's Will that compresses the situation. Once you're too small, you'll wear them down day and night. You can't even see your blade when you're at your wit's end."
As he spoke, the Daoist Lord saw that Feng Min still did not understand and smiled, "Besides, there are other solutions. Haven't you heard of the relocation order?"
As he spoke, he laughed, "The army relies on the city and is like an iron bucket. The refugees are all migrating to other counties. This is only the first step. In the future, only the army will be left along the iron bucket. If that's the case, who will the demons find for the blood sacrifice?"
"If they can't find reinforcements, will the demons survive?" When Feng Min heard this, she immediately came to a realization and was sincerely convinced. "Dao Monarch's stratagem is truly unparalleled. You've hit the demons' weakness this time."
"This isn't my own ability." The Dao Lord's face darkened as he spoke, "I came up with this idea after researching Pei Zi Yun's case."
"Pei Zi Yun is an outstanding person. His cultivation, literary skills, and military strategies are all top notch. His only flaw is that he came from a lowly background, and thus attacked too many people."
"No matter how profound the art of war is, the more you use it, the easier it is for you to figure out the key points. I dare say that if Pei Zi Yun was still in power, he would have only used the most basic of tactics. Just by trapping and trapping them, the Demon race would have been wiped out."
Feng Min listened and stared at the Daoist Lord. After a while, she said, "Then why is there a disaster?"
The Dao Lord looked at Feng Min and said, "Why is it that even with this policy, there are still counties that are affected?"
"Hmph, the rope will gradually tighten. If it's too fast, the demons will be forced into a life and death struggle. However, that's still a small matter." When the Dao Lord said that, he suddenly laughed out loud. "What's more important is acting."
"Acting?" Feng Min was dumbfounded.
"I couldn't think of that myself." The Dao Lord said plainly, "It's just that I suffered from this in the past. That's why I'm especially sensitive to it. Once bitten, twice shy!"
"That's why when I smelled it, I smelled it. It's like a frog being boiled in warm water. It's to confuse King Lu and Pei Zi Yun."
"It's to make Pei Zi Yun feel that the Imperial Court still needs him. That way, he will let down his guard. When that happens, it's like a thunderbolt." At this point, the Dao Lord laughed sarcastically, "This will not change even after thousands of years. The inescapable net has been laid, and the only thing left is to reveal the dagger."
The Dao Lord dared to speak, but Feng Min didn't dare to question him. Although there was no one else in the room, he didn't even dare to listen. After some time, he asked, "Dao Lord, you are a Daoist as well. Why did you participate in this?"
When the Dao Lord heard this, he didn't speak at first. He paced around slowly. After some time, his voice was hollow and sinister, "What the heavens have given me, I shall bear the consequences. The heavens do not love one person for long."
"I made a mistake in the past. I couldn't follow the will of the heavens. Since the will of the heavens has changed, I have nothing to say."
"However, as a failure, I cannot allow the newcomer to follow the will of the heavens."
"If Pei Zi Yun were to follow the will of the heavens, how would I be able to survive?" The Dao Lord shook his head and sighed, "The people of the world think that we are immortals, floating above the mortal world. It's just that we have to fight for this place as well."
As he spoke, he patted Feng Min on the shoulder, "If there's anyone in the world who wants Pei Zi Yun dead, I might not be the first, but I'm at least in the top three."
After a thousand years of contemplation, he was enlightened and no longer had any doubts. The people of the world might have thought that he was being black-hearted, but he was no longer pretentious or hesitant.
Even the Dao Lord himself felt that it was strange. His actions gave him a feeling of purity that he had never done before.
Free Cloud Sect
Faintly, some people could be seen in the forest. Some birds were alarmed and flew up from the trees.
"Be careful of your movements." A Daoist reprimanded. He was extremely displeased with the commotion he had caused. The Daoist who had been reprimanded was equally displeased, "You and I are only working together. We are not subordinates. Are you trying to order me around?"
When the Daoist from Peaceful Sky Temple heard this, he was enraged, "Our mission is to survey the terrain and ensure that nothing goes wrong during the execution of our plan. If you continue to behave like this, I shall report your appearance to my superiors. I want to see how the elders of your sect will deal with you!"
Hearing this, the Daoist from Mysterious Techniques Sect's face turned cold, "Hmph!"
However, he didn't say anything else.
Golden Island, Pier
The Golden Island had been under construction for two years. By now, the docks had already been set up. Although there weren't a thousand ships sailing at the same time, there were at least twenty to thirty ships docking at the same time.
The streets of the pier were lined with shops and shops. The place was bustling with activity. At this point, a man disembarked from a ship and entered an inn on the island.
The inn wasn't very big. There were only four tables on the ground floor, and four guest rooms upstairs. When the waiter saw the man, he welcomed him, "Dear guest, are you staying here or …?"
"I want a special room with peach, plum, and pear blossoms."
Hearing this, the waiter's eyes gleamed, "Dear guest, please follow me."
Since the space wasn't very big, the guest rooms upstairs were very close to each other. Two of the rooms were already occupied, and were currently gambling. The man looked around and noticed that the room was rather clean.
Before long, the innkeeper pushed the door open and bowed, "Your excellency!"
Imperial Palace
Yin Lu walked along the corridor. The tiles on the floor were bright and shiny. There were eunuchs standing guard in front of every door. Inside, there were eight eunuchs standing on both sides of the door.
On both sides of the screen, there were eunuchs of different ranks.
Yin Lu stepped forward and kowtowed. He saw that Emperor Qi Tai had just finished reading a report. However, he didn't place it down. He was frowning and deep in thought. The entire hall was silent. Only the sound of breathing could be heard.
Emperor Qi Tai's expression was solemn. He seemed to have made up his mind as he opened his eyes and asked, "Han Yuanwu, how are the arrangements for Dao Sect coming along?"
Following Emperor Qi Tai's question, someone stepped forward, "Your Majesty, Ping Tian Sect and Xuan Fa Sect are the main forces who are willing to listen to our orders. Once we make our move, we will be able to control Free Cloud Sect. Especially their mother and Ye Su 'er."
"Yin Lu, you went to Ping Shou County to relay the order. How are the arrangements for Ping Shou County and Golden Island coming along?" The Emperor then looked at Yin Lu.
Yin Lu bowed and replied, "Your Majesty, Ping Shou County belongs to the Imperial Court. I only needed to give them some instructions, and everything has been arranged."
"Golden Island was originally the base of the pirates, and not the Imperial Court. Fortunately, due to the small population, we've managed to recruit many men and refugees. We've managed to infiltrate many of them, and we can make our move at any time!"
"As for the men we've planted around the Princess, they were originally our men, and could control the Princess at any time."
When the Emperor heard this, his face was expressionless as he asked, "How are the preparations in the Imperial City?"
At this point, Eunuch Huang bowed down personally, "The core members of the Dao Records Department have already gathered in the capital city. Everything has been prepared. The moment Pei Zi Yun steps into the Imperial City, the palace gates shall be shut. Seven thousand Imperial Guards shall join forces with the Dao Records Department and eleven other sects to kill Pei Zi Yun."
Another member of the Dao Records Department bowed down, "Kill Pei Zi Yun's primordial spirit. The Dragon Veins and the Daoists have set up a trap for him. If he dies outside, there's nothing we can do. However, if he dies within the Imperial City, no matter how strong he is, he won't be able to turn the situation around."
Seeing that the Emperor was still hesitating, Yin Lu stepped forward and spoke in a serious tone, "Your Majesty, according to the records of the Dao Records Department, as well as the description of the Dao Monarch's doppelganger, we can still subdue Pei Zi Yun now. However, once he has a body of steel, even the Imperial City might not be able to contain him. This step will be crucial for the empire's future!"
"Your Majesty, if you manage to accomplish this, even after thousands of generations have passed, the Dragon Veins will still benefit."
"As for King Lu, now that the Demon Tribe has been exposed, the Heavenly Will has been suppressing him. Even the effects of the blood sacrifice have been reduced, and he's not the first to be sacrificed."
"Besides, when the time comes, even the Dao Monarch will be present. There won't be any slip-ups."
Hearing these words, the Emperor pondered for some time before he stood up and started walking. After some time, he regained his composure and spoke out, "Thinking back to those years, I was trapped within the Crown Prince's Palace, and was at the end of my rope. Now that I think about it, it was all thanks to Pei Zi Yun. The True Sovereign and I have both contributed greatly."
"Every time I think about it, I can't sleep well at night."
Hearing these words, Yin Lu's face flushed red. He was about to speak when he saw Eunuch Huang giving him a look to stop him. Yin Lu paused as he heard the Emperor sigh, "But I'm not carrying a single person on my shoulders. I'm carrying the entire empire. I have to face the heavens, the millions upon millions of people, and the ancestors of the empire."
"How would I dare to use my personal merits to take advantage of the greater good?"
"I've made up my mind. I shall pull out the nail that is Pei Zi Yun!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was like a clap of thunder. Everyone relaxed as they knelt down and said, "Your Majesty is wise."
Eunuch Gao Guang then asked, "How should we deal with Prince Cheng Shun and the Grand Princess?"
The Emperor looked at Gao Guang and said, "I had no choice but to deal with Pei Zi Yun. As long as Prince Cheng Shun and the Grand Princess are obedient subjects, how can I bear to punish them?"
"Even if it's the Canton Princess, Ye Su 'er, or Pei Zi Yun's mother, as long as Pei Zi Yun dies, I won't punish him. Instead, I'll compensate them heavily. Just say that Pei Zi Yun died in battle."
Everyone was filled with admiration as they shouted out, "Your Majesty is truly a benevolent ruler."
At this point, a report arrived. Eunuch Huang looked at it and was elated, "Your Majesty, good news, good news. The Canton Princess and Ye Su 'er are both pregnant. If that's the case, we can capture them and force Pei Zi Yun to commit suicide. The heavens are on your Majesty's side."
The Emperor revealed a look of joy as well as he instructed, "Then do it. Don't be careless."
"Now, make use of King Lu's urgent matter and use the golden token to urge Pei Zi Yun to enter the capital!"
"If one isn't enough, send out three or five. We must ensure that the True Sovereign sees me!"
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