What?
Many people would die tonight?
Li Xiao was startled and asked anxiously, "Who are the innocent people who will die tonight?"
"Lord Li Long, look towards the direction of Dongfang Hancheng."
Master Kong Kong suggested.
Li Xiao looked east.
The sky was full of stars, and he couldn't make out anything.
Master Kong Kong said slowly, "Tonight, over a hundred lives will be lost, innocently submerged in the Han River. This is because the leader of the Four Phoenixes retracted its wings, causing starlight to plummet, allowing Zhuang Wujian to seize the opportunity to spy on the heavenly secrets. The hidden mechanism was triggered, forcing it to protect itself and demand a sacrifice."
"Submerged in the Han River?"
Li Xiao was stunned and quickly asked, "Are the people submerged in the river not our Yanhuang descendants!?"
Master Kong Kong shook his head.
Phew!
Li Xiao breathed a long sigh of relief and nodded, "That's fine. I can easily accept this consequence."
Master Kong Kong said indifferently, "The day the wanderer returns home will be delayed by at least three years."
What?
Li Xiao's body trembled violently.
Master Kong Kong continued, "Once the hidden mechanism is forced to protect itself, it not only requires a sacrifice but also delays the wanderer's return home by at least three years."
Li Xiao was dumbfounded.
Then he became furious and cursed his worthless son, Qianfan, "That useless thing! Is it that hard to just get together with a woman? Hesitant and timid, a coward with no courage! If it were me, humph!"
Before knowing about the "Four Phoenixes Circling the Chamber" formation—
If Li Qianfan dared to do anything to a certain empress, Li Xiao would be the first to disown him!
But after knowing about the "Four Phoenixes Circling the Chamber" formation?
Li Xiao immediately changed his tune.
"Also, the hidden mechanism cannot be triggered arbitrarily anymore."
Master Kong Kong said again, "If there is a next time, Donor Ziyu will be injured in the abdomen. This is also the backlash from the hidden mechanism being forced to protect itself. The wanderer's three lands indeed have masters. What kind of formation are they setting up that caused the leader of the soaring Four Phoenixes to retract its wings urgently, allowing Zhuang Wujian to spy on the heavenly secrets of the Four Phoenixes Circling the Chamber?"
What does that mean?
Ziyu will be injured in the abdomen?
Li Xiao was dumbfounded again.
"First the legs, then the abdomen, then the heart, and finally the throat."
Master Kong Kong explained to him, "If the backlash reaches the throat, even an immortal cannot save him! If the Four Phoenixes formation is broken, the wanderer's return will be indefinite!"
"Holy cow, this is that mysterious?"
Li Xiao was terrified.
"Alas, if we had known this, we old monks and others should not have listened to the strong opinions of your village's elder and set up the Four Phoenixes formation."
Master Kong Kong was full of regret, "There are many formations for the wanderer to return home. It's not that there is no one else besides the Four Phoenixes and your son. We monks thought that as long as Donor Shen Yue could let go, and your son inherited Lord Li Long's philandering tradition, this formation would have the highest chance of success. But the facts proved that what seemed easiest was actually the hardest. We overestimated your son's courage and underestimated Guanyin's persistence. Alas, alas, alas."
Ah?
Li Xiao's mouth fell open.
Alas.
Namo Amitabha!
There are too many difficulties—
Master Kong Kong, worried, sighed repeatedly and chanted Buddhist phrases.
Li Xiao blinked and asked, "Master, didn't you say that this formation, 209, could play a key role?"
Master Kong Kong said indifferently, "209 is indeed crucial and the only driving force. But it may not be activated in this life, it could be in the next."
Li Xiao didn't understand—
"In our eyes, one lifetime can last a hundred years. But in the Heavenly Mystery Department, a hundred years is just a fleeting moment, enough to change the candidate."
Master Kong Kong patiently explained to him, "If the original 209 was not activated, your son could have been a wealthy man in Qingyun in this life. If Donor Ziyu did not venture into the Dragon Ruins, certain hidden mechanisms would not have been triggered."
Li Xiao finally understood.
He understood everything.
The wanderer's return home was inevitable.
The formations set up by the experts of the Eastern Land Xuanmen were only to accelerate the wanderer's return.
After all, the earlier the wanderer returns, the more at ease the mother will be.
To make the wanderer return home sooner, the Eastern Land Xuanmen had plenty of formations that could be set up through one of 209's lives.
It wasn't necessary to choose the "Four Phoenixes Circling the Chamber."
However, the Elder of Li Family Village who participated in the formation (the other seven elders were not qualified to participate), out of his own selfish desire to witness the wanderer's return home within his lifetime, had strongly recommended choosing Li Qianfan's (the King, or rather 209's) "present life" when discussing the formation.
In addition, because Su Nan Guanyin's lifespan was indeed to be extinguished after a certain year (heaven envies beautiful women. The earliest formation was set up decades ago), and Shen Yue's karmic ties were also to be brought to a perfect conclusion.
Therefore, everyone respected the Elder's suggestion and found the most easily achievable "Four Phoenixes Circling the Chamber" formation among many.
The participants in the formation were Master Kong Kong, Daoist Du, Blue Phoenix, the Elder of Li Family Village, and Shen Yue, the guardian of the Water Dragon.
Any formation requires someone to willingly sacrifice themselves.
That person was Blue Phoenix.
Before her death, Blue Phoenix left a last wish: "Once the hidden mechanism is activated, grind my ashes into dust and scatter them in the strait. With my eternal damnation as the price, I will exert pressure on the Xuanmen to overpower the wanderer!"
So many people, paying so many prices.
Just as the leader of the Four Phoenixes was about to take flight, the hidden mechanism was suddenly spied upon by Zhuang Wujian!
This was all because Li Qianfan, while passionately involved with a certain empress, suddenly hit the brakes!!
"Damn it, this useless piece of trash."
Li Xiao stood dumbfounded for a long time, took out his phone, and urgently called Li Qianfan.
Dongtu Province, Tiandong City.
In the VIP lounge of Zhizhi Club.
For the past two days, Li Qianfan had been with Chu Yazhi, sorting out the companies she had acquired.
They were discussing whether to persuade Old Father Su to merge with the various enterprises in Qingyun to create a group.
Mr. Qianfan worked during the day and "worked" Zhizhi at night.
He had just fallen asleep when his phone suddenly rang.
Awakened, Li Qianfan pushed aside Zhizhi, who was nestled in his arms and had already fallen asleep, and picked up the phone.
Seeing the caller ID, it was his father.
Slightly displeased, he asked groggily, "Dad."
Before he could ask anything, he was interrupted by the furious Lord Li Long, "Fuck. Son of a bitch! You are my father! I am your son! By what virtue and ability has I, Li Xiao, given birth to such a useless piece of trash like you?"
Huh?
My ugly old man is calling me in the middle of the night to scold me, what's his deal?
Li Qianfan immediately shivered, his sleepiness gone.
Chu Yazhi was also awakened. She forced her still lustful eyes open and murmured, "Master, who is calling you so late?"
"It's my father."
Li Qianfan sat up and asked, "What did I do wrong again? To make you call me and curse at me in the middle of the night?"
Li Xiao, still sitting cross-legged on the Bronze Sparrow Platform, heard the woman's voice from his phone.
Hearing the words "Master" and thinking that Li Qianfan was currently in Tiandong, likely with Chu Yazhi.
Of course, Li Xiao would not lose his temper in front of Chu Yazhi.
Furthermore, he absolutely could not let his son, who was deep in the formation, know that the formation's hidden mechanism had been triggered.
But upon confirming that Chu Yazhi was by his son's side, he suddenly realized something.
It must be that his useless son, due to the rapid progress of his special relationship with a certain empress, had become fearful and sought advice from Chu Yazhi.
With Chu Yazhi's rich life experience, she might analyze his son's abnormal relationship with a certain empress.
This could lead his useless son to wake up in time, and immediately hit the brakes, hoping to calm down and properly contemplate his abnormal relationship with a certain empress.
Li Xiao immediately developed a strong dislike for Chu Yazhi!
"Useless. Although her involvement was certainly at the invitation of that waste, and she analyzed things from the waste's perspective, it was still because of her meddling! That caused Blue Phoenix to be ground to ashes even after death, and the wanderer to be delayed by three years! She is innocent, but deserves to be scolded."
Li Xiao thought to himself, and said coldly, "Li Qianfan, you waste, remember this. As a man, whatever you do, you must make your own decisions. Seeking help from others, especially women, what kind of man is that? If I were you, I would have already castrated myself."
Li Qianfan was stunned by the scolding.
He had never been so severely scolded by his ugly old man in his life.
Looking at Chu Yazhi.
Her eyes, full of passion, were suddenly replaced by terror.
Her fair skin trembled uncontrollably.
This woman, already experienced and possessing a woman's unique intuition, if she couldn't grasp the true meaning of Li Xiao's words, "As a man, whatever you do, you must make your own decisions. Seeking help from others, especially women, what kind of man is that!"
Then, she wouldn't deserve to be lying beside Li Qianfan.
"I participated in Master's and Empress Su's affairs."
"After Master listened to me, he blocked Ruohua, and Li Long of the Dragon Ruins found out."
"This will affect Master's lifespan."
"I was so foolish!"
"How can I, a plaything almost killed by Li Wujiang, be qualified to participate in the tangled relationship between Master and Empress Su?"
As Chu Yazhi thought this, Li Xiao ended the call.
Li Qianfan, who had been thoroughly berated, was still in a daze.
After an unknown amount of time, he regained his senses and found Chu Yazhi getting out of bed, holding her clothes, and quietly opening the door.
Li Qianfan asked, "Where are you going?"
"Master, I'm going out. I, I will never interfere in your private matters again."
Chu Yazhi replied without looking back, her voice trembling.
"Come here."
Li Qianfan patted the spot beside him.
Chu Yazhi showed no reaction.
Alas.
Li Qianfan sighed, got out of bed, walked to the door, and picked her up in his arms.
She struggled—
And whispered pleas for him to let her go.
Li Qianfan ignored her, simply sat on the edge of the bed, picked up his phone, and called his father back.
As soon as the call connected.
Li Qianfan coldly shouted, "Stay out of my private affairs from now on!"