txolops Chapter 2524 Trouble Begins with Xiao Qiang
Chapter 2524 Trouble Begins with Xiao Qiang
Chapter 2524 Trouble Begins with Xiao Qiang
'Snapped! '
Yuan Zuo swept the chessboard in front of him away.
The special envoy of the King of Chu sat before him, his face ashen. Yuan Zuo had become increasingly disrespectful to him over the years, and now he dared to act out in front of him.
"The Xiao family of Yuru Mountain, the Tan clan of Panyang Valley, the old subordinates of Luo An... How dare they openly defy my orders? Do they want to betray the Shadow God Kingdom and establish their own independent forces? Hmph, who exactly is backing them up!"
Yuan Zuo seemed even angrier than the special envoy of the King of Chu Xu. He leaned forward and questioned him sharply.
The Chu Xu King's envoy's momentum faltered. The tribes and forces that Yuan Zuo pointed out were all those who had come out to oppose him over the years.
Firstly, Yuan Zuo doesn't possess the absolute power of Qin Sang; secondly, the Shadow God Kingdom's repeated defeats have severely damaged Yuan Zuo's prestige; and thirdly, the Shadow God Kingdom's rapid expansion has greatly diminished Yuan Zuo's control. Although Yuan Zuo is now the nominal ruler, many forces and tribes obey his commands but not his orders.
Yuan Zuo's accumulated power over the years remained, and these people initially dared not openly disobey his orders. Some secretly visited the special envoy of the King of Chu Xu, hoping to bypass Yuan Zuo and pledge allegiance to the King of Chu Xu. However, the special envoy of the King of Chu Xu was dissatisfied with Yuan Zuo's attitude, so they readily agreed and supported them in causing trouble for Yuan Zuo.
In fact, King Chu Xu had no intention of abandoning Yuan Zuo, and the royal court could understand Yuan Zuo's feelings.
Yuan Zuo's purpose in seeking refuge was to gain the support of the King of Chu, but the power of the royal palace was tied up in the forbidden area and the internal power struggles, leaving little room for Yuan Zuo. Yuan Zuo gained no benefits and suffered repeated defeats on the battlefield, naturally causing him great dissatisfaction.
The Chu Xu King's special envoy's original intention was to give Yuan Zuo a warning and make him obedient, but unexpectedly Yuan Zuo dared to turn against him directly.
"presumptuous!"
The special envoy of the King of Chu Xu could not admit it and immediately refuted, "Are you slandering me for supporting them behind the scenes and splitting the Shadow God Kingdom? What good would it do for the Royal Palace if the Shadow God Kingdom were torn apart!"
He snorted coldly, abruptly stood up, and roared, "All these years, if it weren't for your stubbornness and refusal to heed my advice, you wouldn't have ended up in this predicament! You..."
Before he finished speaking, a ray of light flew into the hall, landed in front of Yuan Zuo, and transformed into a talisman.
Yuan Zuo took a look and his expression changed drastically. With a loud 'boom,' the terrifying force sent the octagonal pavilion flying, leaving the courtyard in a complete mess.
The special envoy of the King of Chu was still unaware of what had happened, and was somewhat surprised and uncertain when he saw Yuan Zuo suddenly become furious.
"Look what they've done!"
Yuan Zuo coldly glanced at the special envoy of the King of Chu Xu, threw the talisman at him, and looked as if he wanted to devour him.
The Chu Xu King's special envoy was also taken aback after reading it. According to the description on the talisman, by the time they received it, Mingyu Lake would probably have already changed hands.
Mingyu Lake is not only guarded by troops and a large formation, but also has Fuzhen Platform. How could it be easily breached?
"This……"
"If no one tipped us off, how would the enemy know where the great formation's weakness lies! The method for forging the Fuzhen Platform was only recently sent from the Royal Palace. In the entire Shadow God Kingdom, besides you and me, how many people know the Fuzhen Platform's weakness? Those scoundrels are scheming and disregard the overall situation. How long does the Special Envoy intend to protect them!"
Faced with Yuan Zuo's repeated questions, the Chu Xu King's envoy was speechless and even began to suspect that he might have leaked a secret before, which was overheard by someone with ulterior motives, and that they were colluding with foreign enemies.
"I will definitely investigate this matter thoroughly!"
The envoy of the King of Chu was unable to argue and left hastily after uttering a single sentence.
As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, Yuan Zuo's expression immediately cleared up, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes. After a moment of contemplation, he ordered several more talisman letters to be sent out.
In the Battle of Mingyu Lake, the Kingdom of Jiaosheng and the Kingdom of Chirong achieved a great victory. The defending troops were routed and fled in panic. Only one-tenth of them managed to escape back to the Kingdom of Yingshen. This not only severely damaged the Kingdom of Yingshen, but also caused a great uproar within the country.
The previous defeats had fueled discontent within the Shadow God Kingdom, and the change of ownership of Mingyu Lake finally ignited it. Gradually, a voice emerged, attributing the failures to Yuan Zuo's autocratic rule and questioning his abilities and authority.
The fact that such rumors could spread throughout the Shadow God Kingdom was undoubtedly due to the instigation of many forces, with Yuan Zuo himself being the biggest mastermind. Among them were people he had placed in his service, as well as ambitious individuals who coveted the throne and attempted to take advantage of the chaos.
Driven by various forces in the Shadow God Kingdom, all sorts of rumors have spread like wildfire.
Not only are there internal troubles, but there are also external threats.
The Battle of Mingyu Lake seemed to have given the Jiaosheng Kingdom a strong sense of confidence. The Jiaosheng Kingdom began to act contrary to its usual behavior. Previously, it was only after being repeatedly urged by the Chirong Kingdom that it would send troops to help. After the great victory at Mingyu Lake, the Jiaosheng Kingdom's army was frequently mobilized. Although it did not enter the battlefield in a large-scale operation, its various deployments were clearly aimed at the Yingshen Kingdom.
After more than two hundred years of enduring humiliation and hardship, that day is finally coming. The people of Horned Life Kingdom have never forgotten their hatred for Shadow God Kingdom. Two hundred years ago, they were attacked several times by a coalition of nations and were on the verge of annihilation, all thanks to Shadow God Kingdom.
Although they had previously assisted the Crimson Melt Kingdom and gained some advantages from the Shadow God Kingdom, it was merely a matter of recouping some interest. The long years did not erase the hatred; instead, it became a brand, forever etched in their hearts!
When the Horned Kingdom suddenly declared war on the Shadow God Kingdom, neither the Crimson Melt Kingdom nor the Shadow God Kingdom seemed to react in time.
……
The capital of the Kingdom of Horned Blossoms.
Yuanzuo's incarnation is meeting with a distinguished guest—the special envoy of King Zhilian.
The special envoy of King Zhilian was charming and beautiful. His eyes were fixed on Yuan Zuo's incarnation disguised as Bai Ying'er. He rested his chin on his hand and stared intently, seemingly admiring her beauty.
"Ying'er, tell me the truth, what exactly does the Kingdom of Jiaosheng want to do by mobilizing all its forces this time?"
They have been in frequent contact over the years and are already quite familiar with each other.
Yuan Zuo's avatar chuckled, "What do you mean by that, Special Envoy? We have no other purpose than to avenge the arrow wound from two hundred years ago!"
"lie!"
The special envoy of King Zhilian said decisively, "Was it King Beilu who ordered you to do this? I warned you long ago that if you really sided with King Beilu, I would be powerless to help you, and no one could save you."
Although they desperately wanted to cut off the hand that King Chuxu had reached in, they also did not want King Beilu and the other two kings to reap the benefits.
"If the envoy does not believe me, I have no other choice."
Yuan Zuo's avatar shrugged, looking helpless.
The special envoy of the Prince of Zhilian stared intently into his eyes, but saw nothing amiss, his expression still one of suspicion. "Fine! Even if I trust you one more time, what happens after I get my revenge?"
“Naturally, it’s about enjoying the spoils of war,” Yuan Zuo’s avatar said without any attempt to hide his intentions.
"Ha ha……"
The King of Zhilian's envoy sneered, "In that case, what spoils of war have you set your sights on?"
As he spoke, the special envoy of King Zhilian waved his cloud sleeves, and mist rose up, conjuring a map in front of the two of them. It was the territory of the Shadow God Kingdom, clearly marking many of its forces, lords, and even secret realms and mineral deposits.
The greatest value of a celestial kingdom lies in the resources of its land. If one cultivates the Mahayana path, one must also consider the living beings on this land.
Yuan Zuo's avatar examined the map, extended a finger, and drew a straight line on the map, which precisely divided the Shadow God Kingdom in two. Then, he silently looked at the special envoy of King Zhilian.
The meaning is clear: ultimately, half of the Shadow God Kingdom's territory will belong to the Horned Life Kingdom, and the other half to the Crimson Fusion Kingdom. However, upon closer inspection of the map, Yuanzu's avatar showed some restraint, as the other half is clearly of higher value.
The special envoy of King Zhilian commented with just four words: "Wishful thinking!"
Yuan Zuo's avatar was not annoyed, "For the sake of the special envoy, we will take another step back."
As he spoke, he moved the line a little, leaving only about 30% of the Shadow God Kingdom's territory.
The special envoy of King Zhilian chuckled. The part they wanted included the capital of the Shadow God Kingdom. It seemed that the Horned Sage Kingdom was truly determined to destroy the Shadow God Kingdom.
It's easier said than done. Even without considering the King of Chu Xu behind it, the Shadow God Kingdom is not so easy to destroy. It will be a long and bitter battle.
"We can use the Kingdom of Jiaosheng to continue suppressing the Chuxu Royal Palace, but we can't let the King of Beilu and his group succeed..." The special envoy of the King of Zhilian thought to himself, feeling that things were getting a bit tricky.
The Kingdom of Horned Life has grown in power, especially with its mysterious Five Thunder Sect Master, who is the biggest variable.
Thinking of this, she said, "King Zhilian has always wanted to see your master."
"Master should emerge from seclusion soon and will choose a good opportunity to personally visit the Prince's Palace," Yuan Zuo's avatar said.
"Is this true?"
The special envoy of King Zhilian did not expect the other party to agree so readily.
Previously, whether it was King Zhilian or any other king, they had all invited the leader of the Five Thunder Sect, but were resolutely refused.
Zhu Qianwu's special envoys didn't even have the right to meet him.
She thought she had misheard that the leader of the Five Thunder Sect was going to personally visit the Prince of Zhilian's residence.
“These are the words of my master,” Yuanzuo’s avatar said with certainty.
Having received this promise, the special envoy of King Zhilian, while not completely dispelling his doubts, did have some concerns alleviated.
As long as the leader of the Five Thunder Sect dares to go to the Prince's residence, no matter how powerful he is, he won't be able to use any schemes or tricks in front of Prince Zhilian. Moreover, since Prince Zhilian will personally talk to the leader of the Five Thunder Sect, even if something goes wrong in the end, it won't be her responsibility.
Not only could she not stop it, she had to do her best to make it happen.
"Is the Shadow Extinction Kingdom also the Venerable Master's intention?" the special envoy of King Zhilian asked.
"Exactly!"
Yuan Zuo's incarnation appeared calm.
After pondering for a while, the special envoy of King Zhilian finally made up his mind, "We can start planning now, but everything must wait until our master comes out of seclusion..."
"That's exactly what I'm thinking. Destroying the Shadow Kingdom is not something that can be done overnight. I've heard that Yuan Zuo and the special envoy of the King of Chu Xu are at odds, and they even had a public argument. If we keep waiting for Master and King Zhi Lian to meet, we'll only miss a great opportunity!" Yuan Zuo's avatar nodded in agreement.
"Oh, you've heard of this too? Heh, rumors spread like wildfire!" The special envoy of the Prince of Zhilian sneered. "Before I left, I had already heard of that person. He is indeed exceptionally talented, always considering himself a hermit, as if even a glance at the mundane world would offend his eyes. The fact that the Prince of Chuxu sent him as a special envoy this time shows that the royal palace truly has no one else to rely on!"
Yuan Zuo's avatar did not echo this, but continued to discuss with the special envoy of King Zhilian how to deal with the Shadow God Kingdom.
As the crisis looms ever closer, the internal strife within the Shadow God Kingdom intensifies.
'boom! ’
A silver streak shot out of the palace, directly shattering the nebula created by the grand formation, causing the palace to tremble, and then disappeared into the sky.
There was no reaction in the palace until the nebula closed and fell silent again.
The silvery light finally landed on a mountain, revealing the figure of the King of Chu's special envoy. At this time, the wind disaster had just passed, and the sky was unusually clear, with the fiery red sunset in sight.
He gazed at the setting sun and let out a long sigh.
"You are all heartless, so don't blame me for being unjust!"
Yuan Zuo's roar still seemed to echo in his ears. He couldn't understand how the conflict between the two of them, who were not mortal enemies, had escalated to this extent.
He suddenly had a feeling that the situation was about to get out of control, and everything seemed to be developing in the direction he least wanted to see.
Yuan Zuo harbored deep resentment towards him, and it was impossible to persuade him with words.
Moreover, he had clearly warned those people not to provoke Yuan Zuo further, but things only escalated. Some of these people were clearly unrelated to him; it was highly likely that the Chi Rong Kingdom and Jiao Sheng Kingdom were exploiting their conflict to sow discord. Knowing that it was the enemy's doing, he had no good solutions. His conflict with Yuan Zuo was now out in the open, and Yuan Zuo wouldn't listen to his explanations at all, pinning all the blame on him, leaving him speechless.
Looking back now, I realize that his reluctance to be distracted over the years, coupled with some of his rather crude methods, has led to this situation, and he cannot escape responsibility for it.
Human hearts are unpredictable, unlike when I was in my master's sect where I had absolute authority and could make decisions with a single word.
These immortal kingdoms not only have mortals, but also many cultivators who have reached the Void Refinement stage. They are all proud and arrogant, and at worst they will simply go far away. It is common for them to outwardly comply but inwardly defy orders. Even King Chu Xu could not enforce his orders. Otherwise, the other immortal kingdoms would have been annexed by the five superior kingdoms long ago.
These principles are not profound. It's not that he doesn't understand them, but that he doesn't want to understand them. With a "live and let live" mentality, he often acts impulsively when he encounters trouble, and then forgets about it, eventually reaping bitter consequences.
Even now, his primary concern isn't resolving the matter completely, but rather how to appease Yuan Zuo and buy himself some more time. Once the King of Chu is free, he'll be relieved.
"This is a rare opportunity. Should we petition the King of Chu to send someone else?" This thought suddenly popped into his head. As long as he could get out of this quagmire, losing some face was not important.
If Yuan Zuo knew what he was thinking at this moment, he would definitely find it both funny and sad, and realize that he had not misjudged him.
Even if King Chu Xu could spare other people, they couldn't arrive immediately, and King Chu Xu's special envoy would have to continue cleaning up this mess.
Unfortunately, the things we least want to see often happen.
The Kingdoms of Horned Blossom and Crimson Melt simultaneously mobilized large armies, launching a multi-pronged attack on the Kingdom of Shadow God, suddenly making the situation extremely critical. Just as the Kingdom of Shadow God was teetering on the brink of collapse, and Yuan Zuo and the special envoy of the King of Chu were in a state of utter chaos, internal strife broke out!
The source of the turmoil was the several tribes that previously belonged to the Luo An Kingdom. After being annexed by the Shadow God Kingdom, they had maintained a distant relationship with the Shadow God Kingdom and had not completely submitted. Taking advantage of the internal and external troubles of the Shadow God Kingdom, they finally could not hold back and raised the banner of rebellion. Moreover, these tribes dared to openly use the banner of the Chu Xu King's special envoy!
Internal strife caused the trouble within the kingdom, and this civil war became the beginning of the division of the Shadow God Kingdom.
(End of this chapter)