This time, his entry into Qiantang Province was not of his own initiative.
Instead, Yuan Mingzhen wanted to see him first; the Devil Concubine thought of him, Tao Qian, as a "Tool Man" being pushed by the Human Dao Fortune.
Pitying their similar plights, whether to form an alliance or for other purposes, she used some methods to have Tao Qian come to meet her.
Even the distress signal from the Spring and Autumn Chariot that Tao Qian had received during his spiritual wandering might have been deliberately released by Yuan Mingzhen.
In an instant, Tao Qian's face showed a color of helplessness, and half in exclamation, half cursing in his heart, he said,
"What a Devil Concubine, what an Empress."
"Who would have thought that I, Tao Da the Great Master, who spends my days scheming and deceiving others, would be outwitted by a young girl without any reason."
"Huh? I didn't expect She has a justifiable reason, but what about my master...?"
Upon this thought, Tao Qian immediately realized something.
Seeing the change in his expression, Yuan Mingzhen immediately knew he had come around.
With a soft sigh, she abruptly stood up.
The surrounding scenery changed once again, and this time, the three of them stood together inside the Spring and Autumn Chariot that was now soaring across the sky.
Below them was clearly the vast expanse of Tiannan and Qiantang—the two provinces.
Around the two provinces was a fog so thick that it could not be clearly seen, but it emitted an ominous premonition of crisis.
Within the fog, various enormous and writhing terrifying shadows emerged.
And without exception, those shadows were staring intently at Tao Qian.
Tao Qian, not understanding why, turned to look at Yuan Mingzhen.
At some point, the earthy and charming stewed girl had disappeared.
In her place was the Empress version of Yuan Mingzhen, regal and majestic, cold and authoritative, with a tear mole beneath her eyes, and flowers on her forehead, truly captivating.
She turned her head to look at Tao Qian, as well as Yunrong in Tao Qian's arms, a hint of envy appearing on her face; she then candidly said,
"Tao Master, indeed it was Mingzhen, guided by Duobao True Monarch, who used some methods to draw you into Qiantang and meet with me."
Yuan Mingzhen had changed her appearance; although still lovely, her personality seemed to have changed as well.
No longer calling him Brother Tao again and again, she got straight to the point, candidly revealing everything.
Tao Qian looked at Yuan Mingzhen, guessing her thoughts and aims,
"You have concealed so many forces, and though you could have fled back to the Southern Land, you chose not to. Presumably, because the Southern Land has only a dozen or so provinces, all of which have their rulers, and behind them lies the huge entity that is the Primordial Sect, making it unsuitable for you to flex your muscle. Hence, you deliberately allowed yourself to be trapped in Qiantang, to lure me here."
"Do you wish for my help, while at the same time taking over the two large provinces of Tiannan and Qiantang, and perhaps even New Moon Province, to bring together the lands of three provinces, and along with those forces, you will leap to become the fourth Hidden Dragon Talent of the Northern Land, beyond Si Xixin, Hong Fu, and Zhang Jinluan, and compete for the Ancestor Dragon Bloodline?"
As his words fell, Yuan Mingzhen first nodded, then shook her head.
Without any concealment, she once again candidly said,
"After acquiring the Spring and Autumn Chariot, through the Secret Techniques in the 'Holy Emperor Supreme Dao Scripture,' Mingzhen has sensed the kind of person Tao Master is and what ambitions he has."
"It must be said, the Master's thoughts and aspirations are indeed somewhat mad."
"Mingzhen considers herself somewhat talented. Becoming the Human Emperor, a wise ruler seems possible, but I cannot guarantee that I could make the seventy-two provinces into the world you wish for. Who could have imagined that doing away with the imperial system, the national name and such matters would be considered trivial and a matter of course in the Master's heart, so much so that you had no regard for the existence of an Emperor even before you began cultivation."
"Besides the Emperor, you look down upon the Great Family Gates, Daoist, Buddhist, Demons, and Devils, and even the Divine Spirits and Demons, yet you think ordinary human beings should be the true masters of this realm; such rarity."
"However, Mingzhen also has the confidence that if anyone in this world could assist the Master, it must be I, Yuan Mingzhen."
"Therefore, my initial plan was to unveil my Heart Soul to the Master by using the Ancestor God Treasure and the Human Dao Fortune, inviting the Master to the Imperial City to assist me... With the Master's identity, Divine Power, and fortunate destiny, as long as you could assist me, we could step by step involve great powers like Spirit Treasure Sect, Secret Demon Sect, Jade Ring Mountain, Taishang Dao, Heavenly Talisman Sect, Fangcun Mountain, and so on, to bring peace to the world."
Yuan Mingzhen and Tao Qian were both chosen by the Human Dao Fortune.
A conversation between them instantly created a profound resonance.
At this moment, what faintly appeared in Tao Qian's mind was this possibility: He agreed with Yuan Mingzhen, went to the Imperial City to assist her, and then he began to exert his influence, inviting one after the other Divine Power from Spirit Treasure Ten Thousand Immortals, Secret Demons, and other Great Sects down the mountain...
Such an act would result in two possible outcomes:
One good, achieving unprecedented merits, bringing peace to all under heaven.
The second possibility was terrible, it would cause an ancient calamity, and the world would become even more chaotic.
Because of that strong sense of déjà vu, Tao Qian leaned towards the second possibility.
Luckily, at that moment, Yuann Mingzhen continued,
"Duobao True Monarch later figured out Mingzhen's plan."
"The True Monarch came to see me and said that it was not yet time to execute that strategy, and if you felt compelled to act, Master Tao, you would surely die."
"The True Monarch's intention is for you to help me take over three provinces, to truly establish a foothold in the Northern Land for the time being."
"Afterwards, you must return to the Sect!"
The last sentence, it seemed, was spoken with Duobao's tone, particularly stern.
Without waiting for Tao Qian's reply, Yuann Mingzhen suddenly pointed towards those misty shadows and solemnly said,
"The True Monarch instructed me to tell you not to take others for fools, not to underestimate those old monsters among the alchemists, let alone the Xiu Family, Taishang Demon Sect, Evil Sect, and the many enemies hidden in the dark. Any one of them, if they find you, it's almost certain to be a deadly end."
"Your smooth sailing after joining the Cultivation Tribulation is mostly due to Human Dao Fortune."
"The so-called 'when fortune arrives, the whole world conspires with you; when it departs, the hero is no longer free.'"
"The upheaval in Demon City, Yang Sui Uprising, New Moon Rebellion... have almost exhausted your luck and destiny, and the things you seek in your heart will not be achieved so easily. Do not be intoxicated with the poison of Human Dao Fortune, thinking you can keep dodging and be exempted from those many prices."
"If you do not return to the Sect, once the tribulation arrives, you will immediately face disaster."
"The True Monarch wants me to ask you: Do you still remember the incident with Uncle Qin Jiao?"
After Yuann Mingzhen finished, Tao Qian felt as if he had been backlashed by fortune itself.
His complexion turned red, and he stood there stunned.
In a trance, he seemed to see his own end, an extremely horrifying scene.
Although it flashed by in an instant, it still left Tao Qian's heart pounding.
Yunrong, who was held in his arms and shared a spiritual connection with Tao Qian, also sensed something and suddenly whispered to him,
"Dear brother, perhaps we should return to the Sect first."
"Once you have entered the Ultimate Happiness and Daoist Transformation Realm, you can come down the mountain again, and it will be more convenient to act then."
Yuann Mingzhen did not hear Yunrong's whisper, and the Devil Empress still looked at Tao Qian with eyes full of deep envy.
Then she spoke again,
"I originally thought that Master Tao and Mingzhen were the same kind of person, but now it seems they are different, at least Mingzhen does not have a Master who devises a foolproof plan for me."
"And then there's Yunhua Immortal, she adores Lingji Fairy, and she loves you too. Before she went to the Outer Realm, she also told me, if in the end you're in trouble with me and refuse to call her for help, I should shout for her, and neither mountains nor rivers could stop her from coming to save you."
"However, Mingzhen doesn't have the fortune to have Master Tao by his side; he just wishes to make a contract with Master Tao according to the True Monarch's instructions."
"What kind of contract?"
Tao Qian asked subconsciously.
Yuann Mingzhen pointed to the Spring and Autumn Chariot beneath him and said earnestly,
"I suppose Master Tao knows that the Ancestor God Treasures scattered across the seventy-two provinces, in choosing their masters, often look to Human Dao Fortune and public sentiment."
"However, this is only temporary. After the great battle in the Central Plains, once Si Xixin or Zhang Jinluan triumphs and receives the Ancestor Dragon Bloodline, they could immediately summon most of the world's ultimate treasures and reform the Longevity Barrier."
"Of course, if Master Tao is willing to let go of the desire for a carefree life, to be a Human Emperor, a wise ruler, a leader... whatever the title may be, then with Master Tao's merits, you might indeed contend with the so-called 'Reincarnated Ancestor Dragon.'
"If Master Tao doesn't wish to, then I, Yuann Mingzhen, will take the place."
"Master Tao helps me take over three provinces, gives me Yu Ding and Valley God Gui, the two treasures, and with the help of fortune and merit in calling treasures, I should be able to gather the complete Nine Provinces' Twelve Treasures, and with the Southern Primordial Sect, even if I temporarily can't annihilate the alchemists and various warlords, preventing the world from falling into their hands should be easy."
"As a price, as a reward."
"I, Yuann Mingzhen, can completely surrender my body and Heart Soul to Master Tao's disposal. If Mingzhen breaks his word, becomes a tyrant, devil, or evil, Master Tao can kill me from afar."
ps: Happy Labor Day to everyone.