Chapter 202: Chapter 199: Cheng Ye’s Scheme, Truly Worthy of Me
In Jun City, within a quiet and secluded courtyard, wisps of white vapor rose and Jiang Zhihuan’s figure gradually appeared within them.
He straightened his clothes and entered the main house ahead, reporting, "Princely Heir, Jiang Li and that person have already left, heading in the direction of Jiang’s Ancestral Land. Zhong Shenxiu has entered Jun City, seemingly in search of the Princely Heir. The Hui Lun from Buddha Country has also departed. As for Zhang Daoyi of the Daode Sect, after Yuan Zhen returned, he too left."
The land of Jun City was after all Jiang Zhihuan’s Earth Plate, and maybe in an overt battle, Jiang Zhihuan might not be able to intervene, but staying informed on the comings and goings of everyone outside the city was still easy for him.
"It seems that they too know it’s a lost cause now."
A faint smile appeared on Ji Chengye’s lips before he turned to his side, "The only one who hasn’t given up is Senior Brother Zhong. This brother is indeed steadfast and persevering. However, considering the size of Jun City, without anyone’s help, it won’t be easy for him to find us, let alone..."
Right beside Ji Chengye, Ming Yang was bound with pale golden ropes, unconscious on the ground.
Even if Zhong Shenxiu did find them, not to mention his current severe injuries, even if he was unharmed, Ji Chengye could still control him with Ming Yang.
Now, what he needed to worry about was no longer Jiang Li and the others, but the Promotion Ceremony of his own father.
If the Promotion Ceremony was successful, then it would be an ascent to heaven for all, with no concerns about repercussions. The line of King Lu would even take a step further, becoming an indispensable pillar in the court. And being a Ghost Cultivator, whose Qi Mechanism is detrimental to living creatures, King Lu would have to abdicate, letting Ji Chengye ascend to the throne.
At that time, Ji Chengye could look forward to gaining the support of a fourth-rank backer as well as ascending to kingship, which would be a win-win situation.
But, if the Promotion Ceremony failed...
All would be for naught, no need to mention more.
Ji Chengye’s smile faded as he waved his hand lightly, signaling Jiang Zhihuan to leave, then he himself went over to a desk, spread out a scroll, and observed in detail.
As he left, Jiang Zhihuan could vaguely see a corner of the scroll, which seemed to be some kind of topographical map.
After stepping out of the main house, Jiang Zhihuan paused briefly before going to keep an eye on Zhong Shenxiu. Within Jun City, even Zhong Shenxiu would have a hard time spotting his surveillance, unless...
Suddenly, Jiang Zhihuan’s figure halted, disappearing into the ground amongst the rising white vapor.
...
...
Jun City was built against a mountain called Fengming Mountain, which was said to have originally been part of Qi Mountain in ancient times, a place where a phoenix was once seen to have alighted.
As the Mountain God, Jiang Zhihuan’s base was this great mountain, which stretched over a hundred miles.
The wind and rain brought by Praying for Rain had gradually dispersed, and the air among the mountains was especially fresh, with occasional sounds of birds chirping.
But suddenly, the sound of metal clashing against stone rang out. On a high cliff on the mountainside, a streak of Sword Light flashed, slicing into the mountainside and leaving behind a sword mark several zhang long.
"It’s said that if the land under the protection of a Mountain God is damaged, the deity himself would feel it, and might even suffer backlash because of it."
Jiang Li, who should have left, and Gongsun Qingyue now stood atop the high cliff of Fengming Mountain. Jiang Li, holding a long sword in his hand, was clearly the source of the Sword Light that had just darted forth.
At this moment, he spoke indifferently, "Today’s test proves the rumors to be true. Come out."
A wispy white vapor rose, and Jiang Zhihuan’s figure gradually appeared, crying out in alarm, "You found me?"
If that was the case, had Jiang Li seen him while he was secretly observing from underground earlier?
"Otherwise, why would I turn up here?" Jiang Li answered the question with another question.
Then, he sheathed his long sword, stood with his hands behind his back, and asked, "Tell me, what did you report to Ji Chengye? What was his reaction, what did he do?"
Jiang Li’s gaze was level and steady as it rested on Jiang Zhihuan, who felt a frightening sense of having no secrets under that gaze.
He knows I went to see Ji Chengye?
Ah, of course, after gathering intelligence, one must report back. It wasn’t difficult to deduce this.
Jiang Zhihuan thought this through and felt his fear subside slightly, but it was then drowned by an even greater fear.
It wasn’t difficult to deduce this, but Ji Chengye might not necessarily believe it. Moreover, he had previously reported that Jiang Li had left, and yet here he was, meeting him...
It was a misunderstanding waiting to happen.
Initially wanting to see why the mountain had been damaged, he realized now that he’d stepped right into a huge pit.
The last time, he’d been discovered by Jiang Li and fallen into a pit.
This time, he’d fallen into an even bigger pit.
Having fallen into pits twice, Jiang Zhihuan could foresee that he had pretty much burned his bridges with Ji Chengye’s side.
Realizing this, Jiang Zhihuan suddenly understood why Jiang Li had asked him in such an expected tone.
He had no other choice but to board Jiang Li’s ship.
With this in mind, Jiang Zhihuan no longer hesitated and decisively recounted Ji Chengye’s reaction and responses in great detail, not missing even the last discovery.
"Indeed, Ji Chengye has let his guard down," Jiang Li said slowly, "If I were in his shoes, I’d think we couldn’t interfere with the matter either. Seeing us disperse, he must have been relieved. Furthermore, King Lu’s entry into the scene has made Ji Chengye focus more on assisting the Promotion Ceremony. After all, it concerns his own wealth and life."
Looking at it this way, Jiang Li’s departure succeeded in its intent.
"And what of King Lu?" Jiang Li asked.
The key is still to locate this person; if we can find him, we don’t even need to kill him. Simply interfere at the critical moment of his Promotion Ceremony, causing him to fail, would be enough to utterly defeat the Ji Family.
Switching paths to become a Ghost Cultivator is no easy feat. Even if the basic success rate is guaranteed, there are still considerable risks involved, as it essentially requires one to die once first.
Regrettably, Jiang Zhihuan was unaware of the Heir of King Lu’s whereabouts.
Even striking against the Ji Family wasn’t feasible.
"After the people from the Yin Law Department arrive, Lord Cui will make his move, creating a space underground. This space is directly below the location of the Heir of King Lu. If the Princely Heir is attacked, Lord Cui can intervene immediately and bring him into that space," Jiang Zhihuan cautioned.
With Lord Cui’s assistance, coupled with the Ji Family’s own trump cards, it was truly a double layer of insurance, with no safety concerns whatsoever.
"If that’s the case, why did he take Ming Yang away?" Jiang Li raised the question, spotting a blind spot in the plan.
Double insurance, yet still afraid of Zhong Shenxiu to the extent of taking Ming Yang away?
[Either Ji Chengye is as stable as Jiang Li, or...]
At that moment, a line of text flashed across the Karma Collection, sparking Jiang Li’s thoughts, ’He might step out from under Lord Cui’s protection, and that’s when Zhong Shenxiu would find him.’
Therefore, Ji Chengye took Ming Yang away, to restrain Zhong Shenxiu at a critical moment.
This was an opportunity.
Just then, Gongsun Qingyue seemed to have something to say but hesitated.
"You go ahead and carry out the orders given by Ji Chengye first."
Jiang Li instructed Jiang Zhihuan to leave, then turned to Gongsun Qingyue.
Now that only Jiang Li was present, Gongsun Qingyue spoke up, "Ji Chengye probably intends to ascend. You should remember what our master once mentioned, that the court has a unique Dao Fruit called ’General Cavalry·Champion Marquis,’ right?" (see Chapter 91)
"A Uniqueness Dao Fruit, unique in the world, has a Promotion Ceremony different from those of other General Cavalry Dao Fruits."
Jiang Li: "..."
He thought about his past three promotions and didn’t feel any difference. Wasn’t it all the same as a regular Dao Fruit promotion? Or did the Karma Collection cheat for Jiang Li?
"Explain in detail," Jiang Li said.
"To assimilate the Marquis Guan Dao Fruit, one must establish military merits sufficient for a marquis title before the age of eighteen. Furthermore, one has to lead soldiers over a thousand miles in a single battle, crushing all enemy forces, culminating in a Heaven Sacrifice ceremony at a specific location. The longer the charge distance and the more enemies crushed, the easier the Promotion Ceremony and the greater the benefits received afterward," explained Gongsun Qingyue.
"Just now, Jiang Zhihuan mentioned Ji Chengye studying some kind of topographical map; he might be preparing for his Promotion Ceremony to Marquis Guan. Calculating his age, he just turned eighteen this year."
Quite the plan, both father and son aspiring for simultaneous promotions. Truly greedy. Yet Jiang Li couldn’t deny the father and son pair’s ability to seize opportunities; King Lu was one thing, finding a lifeline even in near-death, and Ji Chengye was keen to capitalize on the situation to ascend with the Uniqueness Dao Fruit. Their machinations were practically hitting Jiang Li in the face.
With the assistance of Lord Cui, even if Ji Chengye lacked comparable abilities to Marquis Guan, he could completely assimilate the Dao Fruit and, even by cheating, gain immense Dao Fruit advantages. If he succeeded, he wouldn’t just have a fourth-rank backing; he could potentially soar in rank, catching up with the likes of Zhong Shenxiu.
"So it means, he indeed plans to step out from under Lord Cui’s protection,"
Jiang Li murmured softly, "If we can capture Ji Chengye, we might be able to influence King Lu, causing his promotion to fail..."
However, he suddenly stopped speaking. After all, King Lu’s Promotion Ceremony would be most beneficial to the Ji Family; stopping it would be tantamount to disloyalty to the Ji Family. Does he still want to be the affiliated son-in-law?
He was willing to slip such words in front of his sister, without fearing she might exterminate him for justice?
"You needn’t avoid the subject on my account."
Gongsun Qingyue smiled and stated, "A fourth-rank indeed can be a pillar for Great Zhou. However, King Lu’s actions are deplorable, attempting to ascend over the corpses of countless citizens, something utterly unacceptable. If he succeeds, and the next member of the Ji Family tries to replicate this method to ascend, what then? King Yan’s Dao Fruit isn’t limited to just one for King Yanluo."
"With such a precedent, others will surely imitate in the future. Great Zhou might withstand the chaos of Yong Province once, but it certainly cannot endure it two or three times."
Gongsun Qingyue’s expression grew colder, "In times of chaos, strict laws are required. Even in times of peace, we cannot be lenient. Punishments must be meted out to avoid brewing even greater suffering. Such a trend cannot be allowed to continue!"
Yet upon seeing Jiang Li, Gongsun Qingyue’s expression softened again.
[If Jiang Li didn’t trust her, he wouldn’t have misspoken in front of her. The fact that he did reveals the trust he has in his sister.]
[If this were a game, Jiang Li would probably see a ’Favorability +20’ notification.]
Jiang Li looked at the text that appeared before him and smirked internally.
[Plan successful!]
[This not only probed my sister’s stance on the matter but also increased her favorability. Not bad at all for me.]